Everything You Ever Wanted
by NewHampshireGirl
Summary: It was everything he ever wanted, and everything he didn't. Tony finds himself caught between what his heart really wants and what the job is telling him to do. In the middle of the CIA and Jenny's obsession for revenge, Tony has a critical decision to make. Does he leave NCIS for good? Post "Hiatus" AU. Tony/OC, McGee/OC, Additional warnings posted inside.
1. Paris

**Disclaimers: **I do not own NCIS or its characters, they sadly still belong to CBS.

**Warnings: **AU, Spoilers for season 4, Tony/Leah (OC), I'm not a fan of Jenny FYI, NOT TIVA their relationship will be friends only.

**A/N: **At the end of the last chapter of "Job and Family" I said that I had started working on a Season 4 AU with Leah. This is the prologue. I don't think you'll need to have read any of the "Unconditionally" series to understand this. I've pretty much dried my muse up in that series for now. The last chapter in "Tiny Additions" will be the last part of that storyline for a while I think, besides tags in "Job and Family."

I hope I don't confuse anyone by "re-cycling" an OC of mine. Clearly this story is not related to the "Unconditionally" series in any way, just that I'm "borrowing" Leah. Hope you enjoy my latest take on Tony and Leah's relationship. It really was sparked from an idea that Tony's "mystery woman" was anyone but Jeanne... so who better than Leah haha. Please read and review, let me know what you think, promise I don't bite :)

* * *

**Everything You Ever Wanted**

Anthony DiNozzo tapped his finger relentlessly on the glass top of the wrought iron table. In his hand he had a cup of French brewed coffee, a Parisian newspaper rested before him, and his green eyes were following his intended target.

Five weeks had come and gone since Gibbs had handed him his badge, effectively retiring and promoting Tony to team leader. Life at NCIS moved on, even if the team seemed to be stuck in a rut. They were trying… well… at least most of the time… some days Tony wanted to throw hissy fits and smack them around but restrained himself. After all… Gibbs sudden departure had hurt.

Tony wasn't going to complain about the job today, however. He was sitting in Paris, warm sunshine on his face, his team believing that he was overseas for some security briefing that Jenny Shepard had sent him on… but in reality he was watching the daughter of a heavy hitting arm's dealer. Who… was quite lovely. Her attractiveness was going to make the Director's orders of getting close to her much easier. All he knew of her was that her last name was Benoit, that she might be in Paris to visit her father—Jenny told him that he would get more information once he got back from Paris. It was all he needed to know at the moment, he had her description from Jenny, and he had followed her that very morning from their arms dealer's home.

He had yet to spot her father, and digging around a little bit talking to the neighbors—no one was sure if he was in town. It was possible that his daughter was just here to vacation and use his home. But still… the opportunity to dive right in had presented itself and Tony was chomping at the bit.

Right now, he was sitting here watching her trying to figure out his game plan. It wasn't like he could walk up to her and introduce himself as very special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. Doing that would blow his whole cover.

Running his tongue over his lips, he finished his coffee and got up. He zigged and zagged his way through the tightly packed tables towards the young woman purchasing fresh cut flowers from a street vender.

He wasn't supposed to approach her in Paris, just feel her out until he returned to Washington. But it felt like the right time to move in. And… Tony liked to follow his gut when it came to undercover work. "Lilies…" he said as he stepped up next to her, "those were my mom's favorite."

"I like them better than roses," she replied, smiling up at him. "Sadly most men seem to think women just want roses."

"Oh well… then let me correct that mistake," he said, pulling out his wallet. He handed the vendor the money. "Now… that I've bought you flowers, can I buy you lunch?"

"You're very…bold. You don't even know my name."

Tony grinned at her, flashing her the best one he could muster. "I only need a first name, beautiful."

Her blue eyes flashed with amusement, a playfulness that if circumstances were different, Tony might actually entertain the idea of a relationship with her. "It's Leah."

Grabbing her hand, he brought it to her lips and gently kissed it. "Tony," he said, grinning. When she laughed he couldn't help but think spending time with her was going to be better than observing her for the next two weeks.

* * *

_So... should I go with this? Thoughts? Comments... lol_


	2. Misinformed

**Warnings:** Slight spoilers for Season 4, fans of Jenny might not like how I write her

**A/N:** Hello good readers, I can see that the overwhelming vote is to continue with this :). I've changed the dynamic of Tony and Leah here just a bit but it felt right because Tony and Leah are meeting at a different time in their lives.

* * *

Paris. It was romantic and full of life. And one NCIS agent found himself completely wrapped up in it all.

Could a person fall in love in two weeks? Tony wondered that while he watched Leah sleeping next to him at the end of his stay in the City of Lights. He knew that this entire situation was very bad. You shouldn't be falling in love with the target of your entire operation.

Tony thought about calling Jenny and demanding that this operation be handed to another agent. But just the thought that some other man could be romancing her… it nearly blinded him with jealousy. How had this happened? Two weeks ago he was carefree and single… now he was in jeopardy of blowing his operation, of losing his job and he was dangerously close to a woman for the first time since Wendy.

And he _liked _it.

Slowly, he pulled himself out of bed and tossed on some jeans. When they had started this little fling it was agreed between the both of them that it was just a two-week thing—something that would remain in Paris until he left for the United States. She was staying behind… something about her job. Tony figured when she did make it back to D.C it would be easy to pick up the game where they had left off. But Leah had thrown him a curveball by being his ideal woman. Smart, funny, beautiful... he quickly realized things were afoot the first night they had slept together. It had surprised him a little that they had fallen into bed so quickly… but their attraction for one another was hard to deny.

Now that his feelings were beginning to show and bubble to the surface, what was he going to do when he got back to Washington and _accidently _bumped into her? _Blow the entire operation… that's what! _

"Tony?" Leah's voice came from the bed. "What are you doing up?"

"Thought I heard my cell," Tony lied, grabbing it off the dresser. "Turns out I was hearing things."

"You should come back to bed then," she said coyly.

Tony tossed her a grin over his shoulder. Leah was sitting up on her side, the comforter drawn around her naked body. "Now… how could I pass up such a sultry invitation?" he asked, huskily and put his phone back on the dresser to make his way over to the bed.

Leah gave him a coy smile, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger. Tony crawled onto the bed and pulled her towards him, locking his mouth with hers and kissing her deeply. He slid his arms around her, the comforter falling away from her and her warm skin pressed into his. It didn't take her long to melt into him and they were tumbling backwards into the pillows, his weight fully on top of her. Tony couldn't recall the last time a woman excited him like this, where he wanted to have her again and again.

"I wish you didn't have to go back to Washington today," Leah breathed, her eyes half closed. "I know that we agreed this was just a two week thing… but I don't want it to be."

"Oh, bella, I don't want this to be a two week thing either," Tony sighed, sadly, pressing his lips to hers in a tender kiss.

"So… what do we do now?"

Tony pursed his lips and looked down at her. This was the opening that he needed. She wanted more… his operation wouldn't be blown after all. He kissed her, tenderly. "Now, we move forward. We both want more than two weeks… let's give ourselves more than two weeks."

Leah looked at him seriously, sadly. "But I'm staying here in Paris until the fall… you know what they say about long distance relationships."

"Don't listen to them, bella, we can make it work."

"You really think so?"

He grinned at her, engulfed her into his arms and murmured against her neck while kissing it, "Yeah… I really think so, Miss Benoit."

She pulled back, slightly and shot him a confused look. "Benoit?"

Tony suddenly realized that perhaps in this whole thing he had made some kind of mistake. "It's the name on the plaque out front… I just assumed…"

Leah smiled and shook her head. "Goodness no, the Benoits are friends of the family. They're letting me stay here for the summer so I don't have to shell out money for a hotel room."

Shouldn't Jenny's informants have picked up on this information? He felt like going back to Washington and cursing her out for not getting all the information before sending him here. Of course, this mess was brought around because he had not waited to dive in. Tony scowled at her, thoughts running rampant through his head. Somehow he was going to have to work this angle… perhaps he had found another way in… _but you're falling in love with her… it will hurt her. _He blinked back his thoughts and let an easy smile cross his face. "Guess before we start anything more than a two week fling we really should… um… divulge a little bit more about ourselves… like full names."

"Actually you've already told me a lot about yourself," Leah said with a smile. "You just never asked those questions about me."

"Ok… I'm asking now," Tony quipped, grinning and cursing inwardly.

"Dawson. My last name is Dawson, I work for the Smithsonian as a historian, they have me here for the summer procuring artifacts for an exhibit this fall," Leah replied.

Tony ran his tongue over his lips. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wanted to come clean with her. Now would be the time, before they got too invested in any kind of relationship… when he could write this off as they had started this as a fling and he didn't think the truth matter… _but it matters now. _ He could tell Jenny "no" when he went back to NCIS… _and what… lose your job? Watch as someone not as good as you undercover get the job and the Frog gets away? So this isn't what Jenny wanted… but you can still get the job done and maybe, just maybe keep the girl… _"Well then, _Ms. Dawson, _how about we stop talking for a bit because I have a flight to catch in five hours and I'd like to have one more good time before I go."

Leah smiled at him and pulled him down to her for a kiss. "Okay. I guess I can give you something to remember Paris by."

* * *

Jennifer Shepard was anxiously pacing her office. It had been forty minutes since Anthony DiNozzo's plane had landed and he had yet to report in. All her intel suggested that Jeanne Benoit had been in Paris and staying in her father's house. Now, she just needed to know if Rene Benoit had been there as well.

It had been a blessing in disguise really that Jethro Gibbs had "retired" and walked out of NCIS five weeks ago. She never would have been able to get Tony to agree to this undercover mission if Gibbs was still around. Tony was loyal to the old marine to a fault. Jenny probably would have had to threaten Tony's job to get him to take the assignment and then where would she have stood? Most definitely looking at one agent down—Tony would have resigned—and a very, very angry Gibbs—because she would have messed with his precious team once again.

Two quick knocks signaled the arrival of someone. Jenny told them they could come in. Tony moved into the room with a sure stride, dressed in comfortable, casual clothes for his flight. "Did you enjoy Paris?" she asked, pouring herself a midday drink. She offered on to her agent. He declined with the shake of his head. "You look like you could use one."

"Long flight from Paris to Washington," Tony offered, quietly. He rested his body against the chairs in front of her desk, crossing his arms over his chest. "Paris was fine."

"Was she there?" Jenny asked, innocently.

"No," Tony answered, firmly. "The woman your sources saw was a friend of the family. I confirmed it."

Jenny narrowed her eyes on him. "You approached her."

Tony returned her glare. "I felt I had an opening."

"You could have cost us the entire mission!"

"If I had known from the start that she wasn't Benoit's daughter… I wouldn't have approached her. You're sources are terrible, Jenny."

Jenny wanted to punch him in his perfectly, handsome face. She clutched her fists at her sides instead. "They told me she was there."

Tony remained infuriatingly calm. "You heard them wrong. I chatted with one of them before I left Paris… they told me that they had informed you that she _might _be there and they told you they were going to confirm it before they contacted you again. Apparently, you were quick to pull the trigger, Director. Do you need me for anything else? Or am I free to go?"

"What about the other woman?" she asked.

"What about her?" he countered, defensively.

"I want to know about her. Does she have connections to the Frog?"

"Family friend. That's all I know."

"Is she close to Jeanne?"

"Didn't discuss Jeanne."

Jenny clenched her jaw. "Then what did you talk about?"

Tony shrugged his shoulders. "Not much. Lilies. History of Paris."

"You thought you were romancing Jeanne."

"Didn't have any information to go on but what you had told me."

"Where did you leave it?"

Tony stiffened, visibly. "Where did I leave what?"

Jenny could see that he was trying to avoid something. Had he fallen in love with that other woman? _Impossible. He wouldn't be foolish enough to fall in love with a mark even if it turned out not to be his mark. _"Are you going to continue… whatever it is you had in Paris?"

For a second, Tony hesitated. "No," he finally whispered. "We decided at the beginning that it was nothing more than a fling. When she revealed she wasn't Jeanne, I decided it was easier to forget about it and move on."

She let her shoulders ease. "Then you cover remains intact."

"It does."

"You can leave now. Go home. Rest. We'll pick up where we left off in the morning."

Tony's brow furrowed before he left, closing the door softly behind him. Jenny sipped her drink and sat down at her desk, twirling her chair around to look out at the view from her window. They might have hit a bump in the road but everything was still in place. She was going to get Benoit if it was the last thing she ever did as an NCIS agent.


	3. Leah

**Warnings:** Spoilers for season 4, you might not like how I write Jenny, Ziva or Tim.

**A/N: **I was going to post this earlier, but I got distracted by tonight's awesome episode! So, here's a late night update for you! Enjoy!

* * *

It was barely passed dawn when Tim McGee was called into the Director's office.

Since Gibbs retirement he'd noticed that Jenny was a bit… preoccupied. She snarled a little bit more, stalked around the bullpen more. At first McGee thought it was just to make sure that there was a smooth transition from Gibbs leaving the team to Tony taking over. Now, as he sat in her office, he wasn't sure so.

Jenny handed him a name on a piece of paper. "I need you to put together a dossier for me."

"Ma'am? Are you… is this woman a target of an operation?" McGee asked, looking at the same scrawled in perfect penmanship.

"It has yet to be determined," Jenny replied, sternly. "I need the information ASAP, Agent McGee."

"Yes, of course, I can get to work on that right away," McGee said, standing and putting the paper into his pocket. "I'll just let Tony know you need me…"

Jenny's nostrils flared. "No. This doesn't concern Agent DiNozzo. He doesn't need to know, is that clear?"

McGee nodded, concerned that she was being so secretive. Would she have been this way if Gibbs was still around? Somehow he highly doubted it… "Very well, Director. I will have this file for you by the end of the morning."

He left the office as quickly and quietly as he could and made his way down to his desk. The bullpen was empty. Tony wasn't in yet, he'd been showing up earlier and earlier since the bossman left, but since returning from Paris a few days ago he had been coming in a little bit later. Brow furrowed, McGee sat at his desk and pulled out the paper that Jenny had handed him. Booting his computer up he quickly got to work putting a file together for Leah Dawson.

* * *

"What is this?" Ziva asked, smugly.

Tony turned around in the bullpen to see that she held Leah's business card in her hand. _Damn. It must have fallen out of my pocket. _He quickly snatched it out of her hand before she could start to mock him. "Nothing. Just a business card."

Ziva shot a bemused look at McGee across their desks. "It was for a woman. Is she your new plaything, Tony?"

His eyes glazed over with rage. Leah was not a plaything. She was far from it. She was smart and funny, independent—she was living on her own in Paris for the summer. She was much younger than him, true, but that did not make her his _plaything. _What might have started out that way sure as hell was not ending that way… he cared about her, he wanted more than just a fling with this woman and she was an ocean apart from him. Tony shoved the business card back into his pocket. "My sex life isn't any of her your business," he growled.

McGee nearly choked on his coffee. "Since when? You're always boasting about what woman you were with on any given weekend."

"Since now, okay," Tony snapped. "We have a case. Get back to work."

"You're doing it again, you know?"

"Doing what?"

"Your best Gibbs impression."

Tony felt like throwing something at McGee but held back. This wasn't going to get better if he lost his cool. Instead, he grabbed his case file and marched downstairs to see Ducky. He needed to cool his head before the ones on his team rolled. Especially Ziva. How dare she? How dare she label Leah as nothing but a plaything before she'd even met her? If only he could have rung her neck but that was highly frowned upon in the work place… hell it was highly frowned upon in life in general.

Ziva had been confident in her sexuality the moment she stepped into the bullpen and Tony could venture to guess that at times she believed that all men should be fawning over her—and it didn't take him long to figure out that it was just another weapon in her arsenal. He decided he wasn't going to be one of them, besides a workplace romance was not a good idea and especially not with a subordinate. Besides, Leah was more his type anyways. And she couldn't kill him with a paperclip.

Feeling calmer already, Tony stepped off the elevator and into autopsy. Ducky was preparing his mid-day tea and smiled. "Ah, Anthony. I was just about to bring up our young marine's autopsy. I guess your gut tingled and told you to come here."

"Needed to get out of the bullpen before I hurt someone," Tony admitted with a shrug. He plopped his case file down onto Ducky's desk. "I think it's getting worse."

"Oh dear. I'd hoped that with the passage of time they would settle down some," Ducky lamented. He offered Tony a cup of tea. "Change is never an easy thing."

"No kidding," Tony responded pulling up a stool. "I expected the attitude from Ziva, maybe even a little from McGee."

Ducky nodded in understanding. "You're doing a remarkable job, Anthony, under such circumstances."

Tony sighed and stared at his tea for a long moment. "Have you heard from Gibbs?" he asked, softly. As angry as he was with Gibbs just leaving him… he still cared about the former team leader and they all knew that when he'd left NCIS he hadn't been thinking straight.

"No. I have not. It is not for lack of trying either," Ducky pointed out. "It seems that Gibbs does not want to be reached."

"Franks probably has him drunk on hooch anyways," Tony spat. "If only he knew how much everything was falling to pieces…"

"I doubt Jethro had any idea it would be this difficult of a transition."

"_Jethro _only thought about himself."

Ducky would not argue there and he wished Gibbs could see how hurt Tony was. Not that he thought it would change anything really. He sipped his tea. "What happened, this time, Tony, that has sent you down here hiding from your team?"

Tony's brow furrowed. "I met this girl… in Paris. She's great, Ducky. Smart. PH.D smart. Anyways… I had her business card in my pocket because I'd called her today… and well… Ziva found it and assumed that this girl was my new _plaything. _She isn't Ducky! We're trying our hand at this long distance relationship thing until she comes back to D.C. And we really haven't been out on a proper date…"

"So… you were insulted?"

"Yeah! Ziva hasn't even met her yet!"

"I'm intrigued, Anthony. You've never been this defensive about a woman before."

Tony shrugged, feeling some heat rise to his cheeks. "I really like her, Ducky."

Ducky was even more intrigued. Tony might not be the Casanova he wanted others to think he was, but as far as Ducky had seen he wasn't entirely fond of commitment either. Somehow this young woman had changed his opinion on that. "Maybe it's time that you put her number in your cell phone, hmmm? So Ziva cannot find her business card?" he asked with a bit of chuckle.

Grinning, Tony nodded. "Yeah. I should probably do that."

"Are you ever going to ask this young lady out on a _real _date?"

"It's going so well now… I don't want to mess up."

"Good heavens, Anthony. If you want her to become more to you when she returns than you are going to have to take the risk."

Tony knew it but it still scared him. He just wasn't very good at the commitment thing. "Can I bounce date ideas off of you?"

Ducky smiled. "Sure. But… the team won't be missing you?"

"No. In fact I'm sure they're having a good laugh at my expense right now," Tony said with a wave of his hand.

"Very well. Let's discuss this date," Ducky replied, pouring himself some more tea. "First of all, you must find out her favorite flower to bring to her. I always say flowers are a nice touch."

Tony chuckled and grinned, broadly. "Lilies."

Ducky raised an impressive eyebrow. "It seems that your not so proper dates have yielded some very good information."

"Federal agent. I know how to ask questions without looking like I'm asking questions."

"Indeed. Tell me… did you find out her ring size?"

"Too early for that… but I did find out she likes sapphires."

"Good information to keep tucked in your back pocket."

Tony laughed and leaned back on the stool. "So, I'm thinking a picnic, on the beach… laid back, casual, but still romantic."

Ducky was about to respond when the doors slid open and Jimmy walked back in from lunch. "Oh, hey Tony," the medical examiner's assistant said with a nervous smile. "I… I didn't know you'd be down here."

He studied Jimmy for a second. Disheveled hair, smelled faintly of perfume… yeah, Tony was pretty sure Jimmy was off sleeping around with Michelle Lee during his lunch hour, of course the pair was trying to keep it from everyone but they were failing at it miserably. He grinned at the younger man. "Just needed to let off some steam." He stood, finished his tea and nodded politely at Ducky. "Thanks for listening," he told the medical examiner. "I'll let you know how everything goes."

"Ah, Anthony?"

"Yeah, Ducky?"

"The autopsy report."

"Oh, right," Tony said, snatching it up with a smile. "Thanks again!"

Turning on his heel he walked out feeling much better than when he had come down here. He'd hemmed and hawed over asking Leah on an official date because of a lot of reasons, but Ducky was right, if he wanted more he had to take the risk. And something about Leah told him she was worth the risk. Now… he just had to plan the date. Which, sadly, was always easier said than done—_but you have a few months to do it, look on the bright side! _

Stepping back into the bullpen he found it empty, except Michelle, who informed him that McGee and Ziva had gone to lunch together. _If I didn't know any better I'd say that the two of them were sleeping around. _ Shaking that thought from his head, he reached for his phone and called Leah to ask her out, not really caring if Michelle heard him and gossiped about it later. Ziva was just going to have to learn the hard way that Leah was not his plaything.

* * *

A file was waiting for her when she arrived after her lunch with the SecNav. Jenny slipped off her coat and tossed it aside, opening the folder and gazing at the information that she had ordered McGee to put together for her.

Jenny glared down at the photograph. It was of a young woman, similar age and height of Jeanne Benoit—similar characteristics. No wonder her supposedly reliable sources had messed this up. And while Tony assured her that this had not blown the operation… Jenny didn't trust him… and especially now that she had all she needed to know about Leah Dawson in front of her. This was not some _fling _that Tony had while in Paris…

She took the file and sat down, going through it cover to cover. If Tony wasn't going to tell her everything that went on in Paris, Jenny was just going to have to find out herself.


	4. Five Weeks

**Warnings:** Spoilers for season 4, you might not like how I write Jenny, Ziva or Tim.

**A/N: **Hope everyone had a nice Easter who celebrate, also hope it was warmer where you are than here in NH haha. Last week was rough to get any writing done so I spent the little free time I had this weekend to write, anyways, I hope you enjoy this update. Please let me know what you think, really, pretty please? :)

* * *

"Special Agent DiNozzo, a word with you?" Jenny requested, a sweet yet demanding tone to her voice, leaving the federal agent with no choice but to join her.

"Of course, Director," Tony said falling into step besides her as she climbed the stairs up to her office. "Can I help you with something?"

Jenny glanced down into the bullpen at the trio of agents watching them and handed Tony a file. "Yes. I was just wondering if we could go over your case files for the last five weeks, we haven't had a chance to do so since we arrived home from Paris."

Tony flipped open the file and saw Leah's picture peering back at him. Clenching his jaw, he shut it, gently and tucked it underneath his arm. He should have known that Jenny's silence the last five weeks had been because she was collecting and gathering information on Leah. _And she probably roped McGee into doing a lot of the work for her, _he thought, angrily, pissed off that his team was being used secretly against him.

When they arrived in her office Jenny stepped aside and allowed him to enter before her, making sure to slam the door shut behind her. "I was under the impression that you had ended the relationship with the woman you mistook for Jeanne Benoit five weeks ago. However, a look into your phone records of the phone _I _gave you for this operation shows that you haven't ended it at all."

"Did you call me in here to lecture me about my dating habits, Director?" Tony tossed out.

"Not at all, Agent DiNozzo," Jenny responded, coldly. "This isn't about your dating habits or who you are dating… this is about our operation."

"And I assure you, Director, that our operation is not in any danger of failing," Tony drawled, coolly.

Jenny glared at him as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Leah Dawson was not a part of the plan."

Tony managed to keep his composure, even though he was seething on the inside that Jenny was toying with him, using him. "Miss Dawson has given me way more information on the Benoits than any of your sources have in the last five weeks than we gathered in months behind Gibbs' back. For instance, Jeanne recently got back together with her fiancée... so my plans to get _close _to her would have failed... second... Leah's father is a savvy business lawyer and Rene Benoit is one of his top clients."

She continued glared at him. "And what is this woman going to think when she finds out that you're not a professor?" He took on a defensive stance, confirming what she already suspected—that Tony had developed feelings for this woman. "You're dangerously close to be taken off this mission."

He pursed his lips. "Then I guess you don't want to hear what information I've gathered just speaking to Leah. That's fine. Assign another agent to the OP, then I can come clean with Leah and the moment the Benoits hear that she's dating a federal agent…the information trail will dry up. Jeanne will no longer contact Leah… her parents wouldn't hear from them again… so go ahead and pull me out… but you'd have to start all over again."

She raised her chin slightly. "You realize that this can only end badly."

"It doesn't have too."

"Eventually she is going to find out you lied to her."

Tony set his jaw. "Is that all, ma'am? I have a case I need to get back too."

Jenny nodded, adding, "You report to me the next time you see her or talk to her—this might not be the way I wanted things to go, but you're right—pulling you off this assignment now means I would have to start all over again, and I don't have the resources for that. Have I made myself clear?"

He frowned and nodded. "Very clear, ma'am."

She silently dismissed him, effectively ending their conversation.

Tony left her office wanting to punch a wall. His job was in jeopardy if he didn't help Jenny bring the Frog in and yet… the one woman who could help him get close enough to do so would probably hate him for the rest of her life. He'd come close several times to letting Leah know the truth… that he was not a film professor, that he really was a federal agent. There was still time to convince that he'd done it because he wasn't sure where they were taking this relationship. Good Lord he had created quite the mess by mistaking Leah for Jeanne…

"Hey, that was fast," McGee observed when their team leader entered the squad room.

"Director wasn't in a very chatty mood today," Tony remarked, slipping his hand into his pocket and pulling out his alias' cell phone, disappointed that there were no new messages.

McGee glanced towards Ziva who wasn't paying attention. "Um… hoping that someone called you?" he asked, seeing the sad look in his partner's eyes.

Tony blinked, rapidly and shoved the phone back into his pocket, shaking his head. "No. Just checking the time."

"You have a watch."

"Oh. True."

"You were waiting for a call from a girl weren't you?"

"What? No."

"Liar."

Tony threw a glare at his senior field agent silencing him. "Can we get back to work or should we talk about your lack of a love life?"

McGee grumbled. "Man you hit below the belt when you're angry."

Ziva chuckled, cueing them in that she really had been paying attention. "He was waiting for a call from a girl. The same girl he's been waiting for calls for the last five weeks from." A sly smile came across her face when she saw the tension in Tony's shoulders. "Oh come on, Tony. You do not honestly think we have not noticed. The sneaking away to answer the phone, the little grins and glances at your computer screen… you have a new girlfriend."

He pursed his lips together, announced that he was going for more coffee, and left the bullpen. Tony slipped into the elevator and hit the emergency switch. He pulled his phone out and dialed Leah's number. "I miss you," he said when she picked up.

"_I miss you too," _Leah said.

"This long distance stuff is hard," Tony confessed. "Is that big house lonely without me?"

"_So lonely," _she sighed, sadly. "_I don't suppose you'll be going on another trip to Europe before I come home, will you?" _

Tony leaned against the cab wall. "Well, not that I know of but if anything comes up… trust me I'll be the first one in line to volunteer."

Leah laughed, softly. "_And I'm going to be on the first flight out of here once I'm done. Are you going to pick me up from the airport?" _

"Definitely. With a tux and holding a sign that says _Dawson._"

"_Do you have a fancy town car?" _

"No. But I have a sixty-six mustang."

"_Oh, fancy."_

Tony chuckled and glanced at his watch. He sighed, heavily. "I need to go. Call you later?"

Leah let out a much lighter sigh, "_Please do." _

He hung up, feeling a smile spread across his face. Tony slipped the phone back into his pocket and released the emergency switch, starting the elevator up again. _What are you doing, Anthony? You shouldn't be falling in love with her… _but he was, and he didn't have any intentions of stopping himself.

* * *

Clutching tightly to her cup of coffee, Leah Dawson tossed her phone back into her purse and kept walking along the street towards her home for the summer. She had a whimsical smile on her face, just like she always did after she spoke to Tony and she didn't notice that there were bags in the front hall when she arrived. She shouted a greeting to the maid in French and hung her purse up on the coat rack.

Leah shook her hair out and headed towards the den where there was a book and comfy chair calling her name while she waited for Tony to call her back. She stopped when the smell of cigar smoke hit her nostrils. "Daddy, what are you doing here?"

"A father cannot come to see his daughter?" John Dawson said, smiling at her.

"Of course you can but… you… you're always so busy," Leah said, standing there, rigid. "Are you here for Rene?"

"Darling, let's not talk business, please," John said, which told her all she needed to know, that he was there on Rene's behalf. He gestured for her to sit down. "Come. Tell me about all the things you've been doing this summer."

Leah sat across from him and bit her lower lip nervously. "Well… I've found a lot of nice pieces for the museum's exhibit for the fall. I think they're going to be happy with them."

John was an astute businessman and lawyer, he knew that his daughter was skirting around a certain issue. "So, you are not going to tell me about the man you were entertaining here for two weeks."

"Man? What man?"

"The maid reports into Mrs. Benoit, sweetheart, even when they are summering in Spain. We know that you had a man here."

"Daddy before you get all bent out of shape…"

"Leah, I am not your mother. You are twenty-six years old, live on your own in a bustling city and you are spending your summer in Paris. I only ask one thing—is he worthy of my little girl?" John asked, seriously.

"Yes, he treats me like a princess," Leah said, smiling.

John chuckled and went back to reading his French newspaper. "Good. You deserve to be treated like a princess. I hope we get to meet him sometime—when you are back in Washington."

Leah clenched her fists. She hated bringing any man into her parents' privileged world but she knew that Tony would be different. He had grown up in the same world, with the same kind of parents… "As long as Mom doesn't make a big deal out of it."

"Oh, you know your mother…"

"Yeah when she says small dinner it turns into the party of the century that everyone wants to be at."

John glanced at his watch then and stood, putting his cigar out. "I need to go darling. Be ready for seven. We're going to dinner."

Leah opened her mouth to protest but her father leaned down and kissed her on the top of her head, disappearing out the front door and to God only knew what kind of meeting with Rene Benoit.


	5. Germany

**Warnings:** Spoilers for season 4, you might not like how I write Jenny, Ziva or Tim.

**A/N: **I know that this is probably moving along a lot slower than my other stories tend to do but it's important for setting up the entire arc, so just hang in there dear readers :) Hope you like this next installment.

* * *

John held the photograph of the man in bed with his daughter and gazed at Rene over the rim of the glossy picture. "Are you concerned who my daughter is sleeping with, Rene?"

Rene chuckled and sipped his drink while perched at the desk in his office. "Of course not, John, but you should be aware that the man romancing your daughter is not who he says he is. Naturally, with strangers coming into my home I had my personal security check him out."

"Let me guess, my daughter is dating a wanted criminal," John quipped with a smile, putting the photograph down.

"Nothing of the sort, John," Rene replied. "But I would be concerned about his intentions. There must be a reason he is lying to her."

John frowned. His wife was the one that hemmed and hawed over who their children dated, he didn't want to become that parent—especially when he trusted Leah's judgment of character. Besides, his daughter was young—much younger than this man in the photographs—it wasn't going to last long. "I appreciate your concern, Rene, for my daughter, but I prefer to stay out of their personal lives."

Rene shrugged his shoulders. "Suit yourself, John, the information will always be there in case you change your mind." He got up and poured himself another drink. "Now," he said, "let's discuss more important matters. I'd like to terminate all my contracts with my Middle Eastern clients. It is time to retire I believe."

* * *

Tony grabbed his back-pack and debarked his plane in Berlin, Germany. Two weeks in Europe for a security conference had also translated into two weeks with Leah who had finished up in Paris ahead of schedule and agreed to meet in Berlin then travel home to the U.S with him.

He was looking forward to getting away from the breathing down his neck Jenny and the nosy co-workers that were trying to put the pieces of his mystery relationship together. And he was going to get to spend time with a woman that he was madly falling in love with. Tony stepped into the terminal and sighed, feeling exhausted by excited at the same time that Leah was going to be waiting for him down in baggage claim.

All the tension surrounding his undercover operation, his floundering efforts to hold the team together, they all melted away when he saw Leah. He dropped his back-pack at his feet, reached out and pulled her into his arms, capturing her lips in a deep, passionate kiss. "Mmmm, I almost forgot how much I loved that kiss," he murmured against her lips when he pulled away.

"If you almost forgot then we've been apart for too long," Leah said, pulling him for another kiss.

"Oh, we definitely have been apart for too long," Tony drawled with a broad grin. He kissed her again, wanting to savor every second with her. "I'm just happy that I don't have to leave you behind this time… that you're coming back to the States with me."

Leah grinned and linked her arm through his as they began to walk towards the conveyer belt to retrieve his luggage. Tony pulled hers behind him, bushing a sweet kiss across her temple. "So, since we have the whole evening together… what do you want to do?"

Tony rang his tongue over his lips. _I want to tell you the truth… that I'm here for a federal agency… _"There's a nice little restaurant near the hotel. Maybe some sightseeing…" He smiled at her and kissed her, "Followed by making up for all that time we lost…"

She laughed and ran her hand down the front of his shirt. "We could get a head start on making up that time… and still have time for sight-seeing and dinner."

He waggled his eyebrows and nuzzled her neck, tickling her and making her giggle. "I like the sound of that."

"Figured you would."

"We've only been dating three and a half months and you already know me so well."

"Yes, but there's still so much to learn," Leah said.

Tony frowned and sighed, heavily. "Yeah," he whispered, running his fingers along her arm as they stopped to grab his duffel bag off the belt. He let go of her arm and slung his bag over his shoulder, reached down and took her hand and with his free hand continued to pull her suitcase behind him.

Leah noticed the change in him, immediately. "Tony, are you okay?"

He nodded and forced a smile. "Yeah. Fine. Tired I guess from the long flight."

She returned his smile, even if she did notice that his was forced. "Sounds like someone needs some food to reenergize."

"What happened to getting a head start on making up for lost time?"

"Well, I can't have my man falling asleep before we even get started, now can I?"

"That would be embarrassing."

"Very."

Tony chuckled, instantly feeling better. He gave her hand a squeeze as they stepped outside of the hospital and flagged a taxi down. The couple's luggage was put in the trunk and they slid into the back seat. Tony asked the driver to take them to their hotel, where they would check in and then go about finding something to eat. He slipped his arm around his girlfriend and kissed her cheek.

Leah smiled at him, a soft smile but he could see the affection in her eyes and he could hear Jenny's voice in his head—_you realize that this could only end badly_. It didn't have to end badly. She might be completely understanding when she found out that he had lied to her… "You never told me why you had to come to Germany."

He nervously fidgeted in his seat. "Oh, you know, foreign film workshop."

She quirked a slender eyebrow. "For two weeks?"

"There are a lot of foreign films."

"Ok, the reasons why you're here don't really matter to me. As long as I get to spend all of your free time with you."

Tony brushed his lips across hers as the taxi pulled to a stop in front of their hotel. "Starting now?"

Leah returned the kiss. "Starting now."

With their luggage in hand the pair made their way into the hotel towards the front lobby to check-in, unaware that across the street someone was taking photographs of them, had taken photographs of them in Paris, and had plans to follow them all the way back to Washington to keep tabs on one Special Agent DiNozzo.

* * *

Peace and quiet didn't begin to describe what it was like in the bullpen with Tony overseas.

Except this time it seemed that there was a cloud looming over the remaining team. Tim wasn't sure what exactly was the problem, until Ziva casually remarked to Michelle that she had seen Tony looking at rather romantic places to stay and eat, suggesting that his mysterious girlfriend was going to be meeting him in Germany for the two weeks.

It didn't really bother Tim that much that Tony seemed to be in a committed relationship, nor did it bother him that Tony didn't want to share any details about that relationship. It did, however, seem to bother Ziva and Tim couldn't figure out why exactly… unless she feelings for Tony. God that didn't seem possible, well anything was possible, but Tim had seen some of the snide remarks that she could make to Tony and… well, most women wouldn't talk to someone that they had feelings for like that. Maybe she was just jealous that Tony had found someone…

"Since Tony is not here and we have nothing to do but catch up on our paperwork… maybe we can at least find a photograph of this mystery woman," Ziva suggested to her co-workers on a rainy afternoon.

"Tony will know if I hack into his computer. He always knows when I do stuff like that," Tim remarked, making a few more notes on his case report he was working on.

"And since Tony is keeping her such a secret I doubt he has photos on his work computer," Michelle pointed out.

Ziva frowned. "Why is he keeping it such a secret though?"

Tim shrugged. "Maybe it isn't much of a serious thing and he doesn't want us to get involved."

"Not much of a serious thing… McGee… he is in Germany with his girlfriend right now."

"He _might _be in Germany with his girlfriend right now."

"So, he was looking at romantic places just for fun?"

"Listen," Tim said, looking at Ziva, "if there is one thing that I've learned about Tony in the last few years is that it is best to just leave his personal life alone."

Ziva looked at him incredulously. "I would tell my co-workers, my friends, about the person I was dating. No one is asking for all the dirty details… just, you know, a name would be nice so we do not have to refer to her as the _mystery girlfriend._"

Tim shrugged. "Considering how we tease me about the women he does date…guess I can see why he's keeping her a secret."

Michelle's interest was peaked by that comment. "Then… it must be pretty serious… I mean, if he told you about all those other women he dated and you teased him… he must really like this one… if that makes any sense."

"I think… we should just stop talking about it and get back to work," Tim said when he noticed that Ziva wanted to keep the conversation going.

"Sounds like a good idea, Agent McGee," Jenny said as she entered the squad room. She handed him a piece of paper. "Can you locate her for me?"

"Um… does this pertain to a case?" Tim asked, unfolding the paper and seeing the same name that Jenny had him run months ago.

Jenny shook her head. "Not an open one. Just following a hunch…"

Tim swallowed, nervously and told the Director he could easily track her down in no time, but when he did track her down, it surprised. "Director. She's in Germany." _Tony's in Germany. Is Tony in Germany because of this woman? _ "Berlin to be precise."

Ziva's ears perked up. "Isn't Tony in Berlin?"

"Yes. The security conference I sent him too is in Berlin," Jenny growled snatching the paper back from Tim. "When he checks in make sure he knows that I want to talk to him."

"Ah… yes ma'am," Tim called after her, grimacing when she was gone. "Wow. She's mad."

"Is Tony on an undercover mission in Germany?" Ziva wondered out loud.

Tim looked back at his screen that had the results of locating Leah Dawson on it. Yes, it appeared that he was on some kind of undercover operation and he was not sharing any of the details with his team—and judging by the angry look in Jenny's eyes—he wasn't sharing any details with their director either.


	6. Truth and Lies

**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Shalom", not Jeanne friendly

**A/N:** First look at Jeanne in this chapter. I've written her a little differently than in the show. She was not one of my favorite characters. I felt like she was too clingy to Tony, and she just came off as a whiny brat. One of the few things I was glad Shane Brennan did, getting rid of her character. Anyways, onto the story! Enjoy! I've noticed a lack of posting around here so I hope everyone is well :)

* * *

Two weeks in Germany went by just as fast as two weeks in Paris.

Tony had done his best to keep his two worlds separated but as they boarded their plane home he wanted nothing more than to tell her the truth. It was getting harder to keep things normal at work—Jenny was a on a tear—McGee had warned him that she was probably going to throttle him when he got home. And he knew why—Tony had asked Leah to join him on this trip to Berlin. Her presence had not stopped him from attending the conference or connecting with past agents that had worked on the Frog but he knew in Jenny's mind he had jeopardized it.

Leah pulled him from his thoughts when she took a book out from her carry on bag. Tony was mildly amused that she was reading Jane Austen. Most women he dated did not even know _who _Jane Austen was, and he was now dating a woman that read the classics like they were going out of style.

"Hey," he whispered, leaning in closer to her. "Um… there's something… there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Talk?" she repeated, nervously as she glanced up from her book. "You're not… you're not about to dump me on an international flight are you?"

"What? No! Leah… you're the best girlfriend I've had in a long, long time… trust me," Tony responded. "I just… there are some things that I haven't, well…been honest about."

Her eyes portrayed her concern but there was an earnest look in them. "Honest about what, exactly?"

He sighed and looked out the window at the tarmac. When he looked back at her he could see the concern on her face. "My job."

"You're not a professor?"

"No. That's…. that's a cover."

"Cover? What are you a spy or something?"

"Not…exactly."

Leah closed her book and set it in her lap. "Tony, why did you lie to me about where you work? Don't you trust me?"

Tony trusted her more than anyone at that moment and it was ironic because she was the one that he was lying to the most. "Yes. Of course I trust you."

"So, please, just tell me…"

"I work for the government."

It was out… sort of… it didn't entirely blow his cover or his operation but later down the road it would help repair whatever damage this awful mission was going to cause. She processed this for a moment and then looked away. Had he blown it? Had he just ruined the best damn relationship he'd had since Wendy? If he had… he knew that Jenny would certainly be happy… "Leah?"

Slowly, she turned back towards him and pressed her palm to his cheek. "Tony. It's okay. I understand… people who work in certain departments of the government cannot talk about their jobs. You lied because… well… because you had too."

He felt his shoulders ease. "I lied to protect you." _I'm still lying to protect you._

Leah smiled and she leaned over their seats to kiss him, tenderly. She didn't say anything else and went back to her book, snuggling against his shoulder while she read. Tony slipped his arm around her and let his fingers idly run through her hair. His mother a long time ago had told him that love was something you had to work at. Given how hard he had worked at his relationship with his father growing up and later with Wendy, he wasn't sure it was always worth it. Now, he just realized that he hadn't found the right person to work hard for.

Tony let his eyes fall on Leah's face, as her own darted across the pages of her book. She was worth it. Someone that was worth fighting for even if it meant that he could lose his job. There were other agencies, other law enforcement positions out there that he could take. He might not need NCIS… "It doesn't bother you that I lied?"

"A little," she replied, not looking up from her book. "It's not like anyone got hurt with your lie."

_Yet, _Tony added in his head. "Most people don't like to be lied too."

Leah looked at him with a little smile. "Tony, I didn't start to go out with you because of your job. And it's not like you were cheating on me."

"Sorry… this relationship stuff… it's been a while since I did any of it."

"How long?"

"Oh, well, five years…maybe more…"

"What happened?"

Tony frowned. He really didn't want to go down memory lane—not with Wendy at least. "Met this girl… and she moved to Washington for me… but I think… I think the move was too much and… she left me." _On the night before our wedding. Still have the ring. Want to see it? _"Never really recovered from that… or well… at least I haven't yet… maybe I just… you know… need to find the right girl."

Leah looked at him, sincerely. "And do you think you'll ever find the right girl?"

"It's looking better each day."

"Really? Is it now?"

"Oh yes, definitely," Tony whispered, pulling her close for a kiss as the plane taxied out to the runway.

She settled against him and went back to reading, falling asleep at some point during their flight against his shoulder. The hum of the engines and the quiet, hushed voices on the plane gave him the chance to contemplate what was happening to him. Love was never something he had opened his heart up to, especially after Wendy had stomped all over it, but slowly… and not so reluctantly… he was letting himself love Leah.

Tony figured this would terrify him but it didn't. He was more terrified of losing her once everything came to light, because eventually he was going to have to tell her the whole truth about his job. He decided to forget about the job for the rest of the flight and fell asleep himself. He would have to worry about it when they landed and he had to go directly to NCIS instead of home with her like he wanted.

Leah was the one that woke him after they landed, her hair a little wild, clothes slightly rumpled, but she was still beautiful. "Hey, sleepyhead. We're home."

"God I wish I didn't have to go to work," Tony murmured, rubbing his eyes.

"I promise to make it worth your while when you get home tonight," Leah said, coyly.

Tony pulled her in for a hungry kiss, reaching into his pocket to turn his phone on because he knew that he probably had a hundred messages from Abby wondering if he was home yet.

Leah was the one to break the kiss, getting out of her seat and grabbing her carry on bag. Tony followed suit, checking his messages as they got off the plane. Sure enough, Abby had called wondering when he was going to land, but there was another message, one from McGee that concerned him. McGee didn't call unless something was wrong. As Tony listened, he knew that something was wrong. Ziva had not shown up for work, which was odd in itself, but when they tried to reach her, her phone was disconnected—Ziva was gone, and the FBI was looking for her.

* * *

Coffee was the first thing on her mind when she got back to her apartment. Dropping her belongings by the door to deal with later, Leah grabbed her keys, wallet, and headed back out to grab a cup from her favorite place.

She wasn't expecting to run into anyone she knew, and she certainly wasn't expecting to run into Jeanne. The hospital where she was doing her residency was no where near this shop, which lead Leah to believe that she had purposefully come here to seek Leah out. She should have seen this coming when her mother told her that Jeanne got back together with her fiancée, after all it had been Jeanne that had accused him of sleeping around with Leah. Which was far from the truth, but when Jeanne got her mind set on something no one could change it. "I suppose that your mother told you about Mark and I getting back together," she stated, coldly.

Leah ordered her coffee and slid a five-dollar bill to the cashier. "She did. What made you change your mind? I mean… you were _adamant _that he'd slept with me."

"Does that really matter?" Jeanne asked.

"It does to me. You accused me of sleeping around with your fiancée when I wasn't," Leah snapped.

Jeanne didn't respond to that. "I heard you were seeing someone you met in Paris."

Leah grabbed her coffee cup and clutched it. "How… how did you hear that?"

"You were staying in my parents' house, naturally my father had him checked out," Jeanne replied. "According to him he's quite a bit older than you."

"Age is just a number," Leah snapped. "And your father had no right to dig into my boyfriend's personal background or my personal life."

Jeanne shrugged. She would never pretend that her father was a saint, she knew that he wasn't—what he did with his money was not her concern. "What did you think was going to happen, Leah, when you brought that man into the house? You know just as much as I do that the servants are going to tattle. It's how my parents found out about Mark."

Leah felt her temper rising. Despite growing up in a rich, privileged world, she had never been comfortable with how the rich gossiped, how the servants that had been hired to care for the house gossiped. How many of her friends back home knew about Tony now? "Is there a reason you're here?"

"My mother is in town for the weekend. She'd like us to have lunch," Jeanne replied.

"You could have called me and invited me," Leah snapped, wanting to run from the coffee shop.

Jeanne shook her head, still giving her that fake smile. "I was in the neighborhood, knew you would be coming home today, so I figured I'd wait here. You're like clockwork, sometimes, Leah."

Leah took a deep breath. She had to treat Jeanne like she treated her sisters, take them with a grain of salt and just grin and bear it. "Fine. Tell your mother I'll be there for lunch."

"Wonderful. I'll call her today," Jeanne said, continuing to put on an act that she actually wanted to be there. She turned to go, "Oh. Make sure you bring your new boyfriend. I think I'd like to meet him."

* * *

Dealing with the FBI was not something Tony wanted to be doing on his first day back. And he certainly didn't want to be dealing with Ron Sacks. It came as no surprise he had been the one to come over to NCIS to demand that they hand over Ziva, Sacks had been the one who wanted to throw him in jail and misplace the key last year.

Tony was firm. No matter what had happened this morning, whether Ziva was seen at the sight of the explosion on not, he was not about to just hand her over to the FBI—not without proof. "We don't know where Ziva is, or her involvement in the assassination this morning in Georgetown."

Sacks looked at Jenny and set his jaw. "And if you did, Director, would you hand her over to the FBI for questioning?"

"I would make sure that she cooperated with the FBI, Agent Sacks," Jenny replied, coldly. "Until we have forensic evidence tying her to this crime, I will not be handing her over."

"It was her car at the scene," Sacks pointed out. He straightened his suit coat. "Director Shepard, I have a warrant for her arrest. If she shows up here you are obligated to turn her in. I hope that you are not harboring her."

"A warrant?" Jenny snapped. "On what charges?"

"Espionage and murder," Sacks replied, coldly. He nodded his head in greeting towards Tony and left, slamming Jenny's door behind him.

Tony looked, briefly at the Director. "What do you want me to do, Jenny?"

Jenny ran her tongue over her lips. "Nothing. Not yet. Ziva got into this mess… let her contact us to get herself out of it."


	7. Take It or Leave It

**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Shalom"

**A/N: **Happy weekend folks! I'm trying my best to pick the pace up on this one a little bit. Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Jethro Gibbs wouldn't say he was enjoying retirement. Maybe it was because he really didn't picture himself in Mexico sipping Coronas all day like Franks did, or maybe it was that his head was still slightly scrambled. Some days he couldn't even tell you what year it was. And then there was the always-persistent guilt that he had just up and left his team because he was frustrated with the job.

Gibbs had never been able to forgive Mike for committing the same act of betrayal. Yet, when things had just gone South, Gibbs had handed his badge and weapon over to Tony and left. _Tony. _ His loyal St. Bernard… the man that had stood by him through everything… he hadn't even said a proper good-bye. _You'll do. _ It was not really a vote in confidence for the young man.

He should probably pick the phone up and call to check on the former senior field agent… every time he thought about it, however, he talked himself out of it. What if Tony was angry? What if he didn't want to speak to Gibbs at all? _What if they're all happier now that you're gone? _

"Probie!" Mike Franks' voice cut through the calm. "Some woman is on the phone for ya, sounds real upset too!"

"Aw, hell," Gibbs muttered underneath his breath as he climbed down from the roof and snatched the phone out of Camilla's hand. "Hello?"

He recognized the voice on the other end. Ziva. She was trying to make small talk but Gibbs knew her—this call wasn't because she missed him, or just wante to hear his voice, this was because she needed something from him. Which became clear when she told him she was in trouble. "Why don't you go to DiNozzo?"

Ziva laughed. "_Tony? Tony is too busy with his new girlfriend… sorry that came out… that came out wrong. He… he cannot help me." _

Gibbs furrowed his brow. "Ziver. I'm in Mexico… what do you think I can do for you that Tony or Jenny cannot?"

"_I was hoping… that you could save me," _she said, leaving him very little choice. He was going back to D.C.

* * *

Tony didn't like the sit back and let Ziva get herself out of trouble attitude that Jenny was taking up. And after twenty-four hours of silence from Ziva and the FBI, it was really starting to worry him. It was not something Gibbs would have tolerated. It wasn't something that the former marine would do himself. He knew that he was pushing it with their Director… what with going with his gut on this undercover operation and staying with Leah... but he wasn't going to leave Ziva to fend off the wolves at the FBI alone. If only she would pick up the phone and ask for his help...

Stepping off the elevator, Tony ran his hands through his hair and given how frustrating the day had been going, not being able to find Ziva… he wasn't surprised that Sacks was waiting for him in the squad room. "Can I do something for you, Sacks?"

"Care to explain why Agent Gibbs' landline called here this afternoon?" Sacks asked, glaring at Tony suspiciously.

"Ah, no, seeing how Agent Gibbs is in Mexico," Tony replied going to his desk. He glanced at Ziva's empty one. "Phones weren't disconnected months ago?"

Sacks crossed his arms over his chest. "Not according to the phone company. Gibbs planning on coming back anytime soon?"

Tony shrugged his shoulders. "Far as I know, Jenny hasn't filed his paperwork yet. She's calling it a temporary leave of absence."

"Four months is temporary?"

"It is in Gibbs' world apparently."

Sacks just stood there trying to put the pieces of this complicated team together. Between the hotheaded marine that had just walked out months ago, to the Director that seemed to have her own agenda… and a Mossad officer that really, probably should not be working for a federal agency… at least not NCIS… CIA would have been better… but that was another matter for another day... Sacks found it amazing that DiNozzo was holding what was left of the team together. "And you're okay with just giving up your spot when he decides to come back?"

Tony shrugged his shoulders again. "Wasn't given much of a choice, Sacks. You know, you get orders and you follow them," he said as his cell phone… the one of his alter-ego…rang in his pocket. "Excuse me… need to take this."

Before he walked away, Sacks caught a glimpse of the phone and saw the name. _Leah. _ Was that a code name for Ziva David? Judging by the NCIS agent's body language, Sacks didn't think so. This was some kind of personal call and the FBI agent decided to plant himself at McGee's desk and wait for Tony to return.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw Sacks sit down and wait for the team leader to come back. Grumbling he flipped his phone open and slipped into the alcove. "Hey," he whispered, "Everything okay? When I left you this morning you were dead to the world, beautiful."

"_Ah, well, there… there's something I need to tell you," _Leah stated, sounding a bit on edge. "_Yesterday, I really wanted a coffee… so I went to my usual place… and Jeanne was waiting for me."_

"You had plans to meet up with her?" Tony inquired, surprised that she hadn't told him.

"_No. I didn't. She… kind of ambushed me," _Leah answered honestly.

Tony ran his tongue over his lips and glanced at his watch. "What did she want?"

Leah paused for a moment. "_Um… for us to have lunch with her and her mother… on Sunday."_

"Us? Why us?"

"_Listen there was a little something I learned growing up… there were certain families you didn't say no to…"_

"Sunday sounds great," Tony replied, with a smile. _Hopefully we have everything under control here by then… _"You just tell me what time and where… I'll be ready."

"_Don't sound so excited," _Leah teased him before hanging up.

Tony snapped his phone shut and peered thoughtfully at the hideous orange wall in front of him. He already felt like he was in so deep with Ziva being hunted down by the FBI and now this? Drowning was probably the best word to describe how he felt. And what the hell was Jenny going to think when he revealed to her that he had lunch with Jeanne and Mrs. Benoit? "This day is just one disaster after another," he mumbled before returning to the bullpen.

And judging by the angry look on Sacks face when Tony returned, the day was not going to get any better. "I just got off the phone with my director. I've been told that the Israeli embassy has been holding Ziva there."

He should have guessed… "Well, great. Now you know where she is."

Sacks shook his head. "I called the embassy. They told me that Ziva wasn't there. She attacked her guard and vanished."

_Ziva, son of bitch, do you try to make things worse for yourself? _Tony questioned, silently, as he thought of the think thing to say. "If you're implying that she's been in contact with me… you can stop. I haven't talked to Ziva since before I left for Germany two weeks ago."

"I find out that you and your team were involved in all this, DiNozzo… I'll have your badges," Sacks threatened before storming out.

"Nice seeing you again," Tony murmured, before spinning on his heel and bee-lining it for the lab. If there was one place Ziva would have gone it would have been Gibbs' empty house, and if there was _one _person she would have called at NCIS—it would have been Abby.

* * *

Ziva had known that Gibbs would rush to D.C to help her. And she also knew that she couldn't turn to NCIS for help. Jenny had been off her game lately, and Tony… well… the only damsel in distress he seemed to be concerned about was his new girlfriend.

She had been told that jealousy was not a pretty shade of green on her. Ziva wasn't sure what McGee meant by all that but she definitely was not jealous of Tony's new girlfriend. He was a childish, obnoxious, jerk most of the time… why would she be jealous of any girl that ended up dating him? Bashan had made her skin crawl when he suggested that Tony was seen all over Germany with this rather beautiful woman… and then insinuated that Ziva had failed to get close to Tony.

Getting close to Tony was like trying to hug a porcupine. He had a thick, prickly outer layer that hardly anyone was able to crack. _She cracked it, _Ziva thought angrily, _and without any of your training. _

Upstairs in Gibbs' living room she heard footsteps. Clutching tightly to her gun she waited until the basement door opened and the person appeared, except it wasn't Gibbs, the FBI or even Bashan… it was Tony. "Nice try, Zee-vah," he snapped, stepping off the last step and into the basement. "If you're gonna hide… try to be a bit more creative."

"Very well then," Ziva snapped, holstering her gun. "Next time I will hide in _your _apartment." Tony looked uncomfortable with that idea. She scoffed. "Oh, you do not like that one do you? Is that because _she _is there?"

"This has nothing to do with my girlfriend," Tony responded, coolly. "You're in a heap load of trouble, Ziva. You know that right?"

Ziva glared at him. "Of course I know that. But what was I supposed to do when I thought I saw someone that was supposed to be dead?"

Tony returned the glare. "Not follow them like a crazy woman through D.C traffic and then disappear. Yeah, I know all about how you were spotted at that bombing the other morning, how you abandoned your car and then I had nice little chat with the Mossad officer at the embassy that told me you said you saw a dead man."

"What did you expect me to do?"

"You should have called your father right then and there. You should have notified the CIA or the FBI."

"There was no time!"

"So instead of going straight to NCIS… you went to the Israeli embassy."

Ziva clenched her fists. "To notify my father."

Tony continued to glare at her. "That couldn't have been done at NCIS? Or… do you not trust us enough?" He saw her jaw twitch. "Ah, there it is, the real reason you didn't call me or Jenny or even McGee—you don't trust us. You know… you said you came here to get away from Mossad for a while… but boy… it sure as hell isn't looking like that right now."

"Get out. I do not have to listen to this."

"I'm risking my career here to help you. Take it or leave it."

Ziva set her jaw and narrowed her eyes. "Leave it."

Tony shrugged. "Fine. Don't expect NCIS to get involved. You want to be on your own, you're on your own." He turned to go and started to climb the stairs. "Say hi to Gibbs for me."

Upstairs the door slammed shut and the house fell into silence again. Ziva sat there fighting tears. Tony was her partner, he did his best to have her back, but this… he didn't trust her. And if she was going to get out of this mess… she was going to need someone that she could trust.


	8. Escape

**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Shalom", **adult content, not explicit however**

**A/N:** Hope everyone enjoyed their weekends. I come with a new chapter. Please feel free to leave your comments :)

* * *

Jenny ran her fingers through her hair and checked her make-up in the compact one more time before clicking it shut. Dressed to the nines for some fundraising dinner, Jenny was about to call down and see if her car was ready when her office door opened.

Tony entered, looking determined. His black polo shirt and faded jeans looked out of place against her fancy emerald dress. "Am I keeping you from a hot date, Jenny?" he asked, with a little teasing glint in his eyes.

"You're only keeping me from a roomful of senators," Jenny answered, honestly. "What are you doing here, Tony? It's late."

"I found Ziva," Tony stated, matter-of-factly. "She's hiding out at Gibbs' house."

Jenny tried to hide the emotions of hearing his name invoked in her, but Tony was a smart agent, he'd see through her. "Let me guess… she called Jethro to help?"

Tony nodded. "After escaping the embassy, she fled to Gibbs' house, called Abby to get his number down in Mexico and then called him. I checked… he was on a red eye last night to D.C. He should be in America by now."

She kept her mask somehow in place. "And he hasn't tried to call or speak to you?"

"Not yet. I think he knows that if he does… my job could be in danger," Tony replied. "I already put it in danger when I went to find Ziva. Do you want me to call the FBI?"

"No. I'll handle it," Jenny said, tightly. "You can go home, Tony. I will see you in the morning."

"Alright, then," Tony said, with a slight nod, "Good night, Jenny."

Jenny watched as he turned and strode out of her office just as confidently as how he had strode in, closing the door softly behind him. She stood there for a moment or two wondering what her next course of action to take was. She knew that she should be calling the FBI that Ziva had turned up, but the young woman was still her friend, had still saved her life once. She owed the Israeli a little favor. But as she gathered up her things to proceed out for the evening, she knew that this would be the only and last favor she granted Ziva David and Mossad.

* * *

He didn't go home. He ended up at Leah's apartment.

Leah answered the door wearing a loose, black silk bathrobe over a silk floral nighty and she was rubbing her eyes. "Tony?"

Tony leaned against the doorframe and ran his eyes over her. He really wanted to just slip that robe and nighty off of her… "Sorry. Did I wake you up? I keep forgetting that we did just come back from Europe and you were there a lot longer than I was… adjusting back to the time is hard."

"It's okay. I had just fallen asleep," Leah said, taking his hand and gently pulling him into the apartment. She closed the door behind him. "You look a little troubled."

"Rough first two days back at the office," Tony answered, lacing his fingers through hers. He reached out with his free hand and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I'm better now."

Leah gazed at him, sweetly, sleepily. "You are? How come?"

Tony brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them. "Because I'm with you now and you always make me feel better." Slowly, he dipped his head towards hers and kissed her. His hands gently let go of hers and untied her robe. He pushed it off her shoulders, letting it flutter to the floor around her feet. Breaking the kiss he leaned down and scooped her up off the floor, carrying her to her bedroom.

He laid her down gently on the bed and kneeled over her while he pulled his shirt off. She grinned, devilishly while she hooked his belt loops on his jeans and pulled him towards her again, hungrily kissing him. Tony slipped his hand underneath her nighty and brushed her warm skin, tickling her tummy.

She giggled and squirmed underneath him. He loved it when she laughed in the heat of the moment, when he got her to laugh in the heat of the moment...her playful side would come out. He tickled her again just to hear that breathy laugh.

It was still a mystery to him why this woman made his heart flutter, made him want to better himself for her and all while he was making love to her. Tony kissed her behind her ear while slipping her nightly off over her head and throwing it to the floor. Her fingers raked their way down his chest and he shivered as a jolt of electricity shot through his body. She slowly undid the button on his jeans and pushed them—with his boxers—down to his ankles.

Tony pulled back, catching his breath, heart beating wildly against his chest. His eyes settled on her face and he pushed the stray pieces of hair out of her blue eyes. He realized then and there that he wasn't falling in love with her—he already _was _in love with her.

Leah gave him a soft smile. "Tony? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing… everything is perfect," Tony whispered, kissing her tenderly.

"Why such the serious look?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair.

"Just… thinking about… how lucky I got finding you in Paris," Tony answered, truthfully.

"Do you think you could stop thinking about things and _show _me how lucky you are?" Leah inquired, a teasing glint in her eyes.

Tony chuckled, kicked his jeans off, and leaned down to capture her lips into a passionate embrace. Her kiss ignited a fire inside of him and he forgot all his worries, all his stress—he forgot everything except the reason he had come here. He needed an escape, even if that was just going to be a movie and falling asleep on her couch but he wasn't going to complain if she was willing to offer that escape in a more passionate form. He found that after four months of being together their passion, their sexual attraction to one another had not dimmed. In fact, it had gotten stronger.

He didn't just crave sex... he craved it with her and when that craving was met, he always made it point to show her just how much he wanted her, needed her.

Leah had never been with a man that devoted so much attention to her while lovemaking. When they first had sex she was sure that the passion, the desire would just fizzle because they believed that they were in the midst of a fling… but the more time they spent together and not just when they were having sex… it became clear that whatever was happening between them was more than sexually based—they connected much more deeply than that. She had been completely swept away by the intense emotions he invoked inside of her and she rather enjoyed it.

Not that either of them didn't enjoy the primal side of the relationship, but their emotional connection to one another made their physical connection all the more intense. He had a way of satisfying her like no other man before… and she always left him satiated but craving to touch her again and again…

Gasping for breath Tony collapsed next to her in shear bliss, pulling her into his arms and nuzzling her neck. "I've gotta wake you up more often."

Sighing, Leah meshed her fingers with his and looked at their joined hands while she caught her breath. "Yes, I completely agree."

"You've certainly made this terrible day one hundred percent better," Tony quipped, kissing her temple. He reached out and pulled the blankets over them.

"Just one hundred percent? Because… I don't know about you… but I thought I was pretty damn good," Leah teased, snuggling close to him.

Tony chuckled and smoothed her sweat-dampened hair back, away from her eyes. "You are _always _pretty damn good," he said, kissing her.

Leah smiled, sleepily. "You were pretty good too," she whispered as she started to drift off to sleep, "so don't take this the wrong way, but I'm going back to sleep now."

He laughed, silently and watched as she fell asleep in his arms. Tony gazed at her for a few minutes, listening to the sound of her breathing deeply, evenly while she slept. With a soft kiss on her forehead he leaned over and shut the light off, wrapping her back into his arms and falling asleep holding her tightly.

* * *

His horrendous cell phone ringing woke him up—late—the next morning. Tony fumbled about in the bed, almost falling out of it onto the floor because he was tangled up in the sheets, and found his jeans. He tore his phone out of his pocket and flipped it open. "Yeah, go ahead McGee."

McGee sounded flustered on the other line. "_Where the hell are you? Director Shepard is upstairs right now trying to convince Sacks that you didn't go rogue to help Ziva." _

Tony rubbed the sleep from his eyes and then looked around the sunny bedroom for Leah. "I didn't go rogue. I just… I didn't stay at my place last night… and I overslept, alright? Let me grab a quick shower and a coffee and I'll be in. Tell Jenny to calm down."

"_Ah, Tony, I'm not done yet," _McGee warned him. "_Gibbs is back. He called me looking for you. Says you didn't answer your phone last night." _

"I know," Tony replied, calmly. "I didn't want to talk to him."

"_What? Are you insane? Do you have some kind of death wish?"_

"Gibbs isn't my boss anymore, Probie. I don't have to answer his calls."

McGee clicked his tongue. "_You're playing with fire."_

Tony knew that he was and he didn't care. He could handle himself. "Longer you keep me on the phone, the later I'm going to be, McGee." He smiled when he heard the distinct click of being hung up on. Sighing and stretching Tony got out of the bed, found his spare clothes and went to take a shower.

When he emerged Leah had coffee waiting for him in a travel mug. "Heard you were late," she said, pushing it towards him with a toasted English Muffin wrapped in a napkin. "Hope that it's not because of me."

"Don't worry about it," Tony told her, taking his breakfast and coffee and kissing her. "You were worth every second of agony I'm going to endure at work."

* * *

_Tony and Gibbs confrontation is coming next chapter... things might get a little heated ;)_


	9. Conflict

**Warnings: **Spoilers for "Shalom", Tony is kind of a jerk lol

**A/N: **Hi everyone! Here is that Tony/Gibbs confrontation I mentioned in the last chapter. Let me know what you think! Hope it lives up to expectations!

* * *

"You look like a crazy hobo, Jethro," Jenny tossed at him, vehemently. "Drinking too much of that hooch Franks puts away?"

"Since when do you care what I look like, Jen?" Gibbs threw at her, angrily. "I want to know why NCIS isn't helping Ziva. This is not how I trained my team."

"It's not your team anymore," Jenny stated, bluntly. "You left Special Agent DiNozzo in charge. And I ordered him not to get involved. Unlike you—Tony can follow orders."

Gibbs wondered what had happened to her over the years. She had always had somewhat of a temper but in the fifteen minutes he had been in her office, he was seeing just how much that anger had taken over her personality. "The Tony I knew wouldn't turn his back on his people. Sure he's following those orders, Jen?"

Jenny glared at him and ran her hands over her perfectly tailored business suit. "Yes. I'm sure he is following orders. He was in here just last night informing me that he found Ziva hiding out at your house."

His jaw twitched. When Gibbs had arrived at his house, Ziva had informed him that Tony had just left. When he inquired why Tony wasn't sticking around to help, Ziva informed him that he had refused. Jenny must have really whipped his former senior field agent good if he was walking away from helping out a teammate. "She didn't do it. She thinks she's being set up by the supposedly dead Mossad officer she saw at the scene just before the explosion."

"Then she should go to the FBI," Jenny answered, coolly. "There is nothing NCIS can do for her."

"I don't get you, Jen, you fought with me tooth and nail over adding her to my team and now… you're not going to help her?"

"My job is to protect the integrity of this agency."

Gibbs stood and squared his shoulders on her. He hated it when she went all politician on him. "And the word of your agents be damned, right?"

Jenny raised her chin in defiance. "If Ziva was set up, the FBI will find evidence of that. But she has to stop running from them."

"Running? She had no choice but to run!"

"She could have called me or Tony first! She chose to call you!"

"Oh, so this is about your ego being bruised not about the integrity of NCIS!"

"Um, am I interrupting?" Tony suddenly asked, stepping into the office. "Cynthia said you wanted to see me when I came in."

Jenny shifted her glare off of Gibbs and turned towards Tony, a forced smile settling on her face. "No. Of course not, Tony. Please… come in."

Tony entered the room and shut the door behind him. His green eyes made contact with his former boss' blue ones and the fury inside of them made him wish he had spiked his morning coffee. "Sorry I'm late, Director. Overslept."

Gibbs took a deep breath. "Maybe you can explain to me why I'm here and not making a teak hot tub on a beach in Mexico?"

"Me? You should have asked Ziva that question," Tony snapped. "She's the one that called you—not me."

"She told me you wouldn't help her," Gibbs spat at him. "I thought I taught you better than that DiNozzo? I thought I taught you to never screw over your partner! To have her back!"

"Of course she told you that," Tony scoffed. "You never could resist a damsel in distress. She _knows _that Gibbs! She's playing you!"

Gibbs felt like smacking him and not on the back of the head. "Are you suggesting that I don't know when someone is lying to me?"

Tony set his jaw. "I'm saying that you tend to throw up blinders when it comes to women—especially Ziva. The truth is I did offer her help. I figured out that she went to your house and I went and offered to help her, knowing that it could cost me my career. She didn't want it. Apparently, she doesn't trust NCIS or me or even McGee enough to ask for help. Guess I can see why—you didn't exactly boost their confidence in me when you left. That one hurt, Gibbs. _You'll do_? After all those years I worked with you surely I deserved more than a _you'll do._"

Jenny could see that remark hurt but typical Gibbs he slammed a steal mask on and made sure that Tony didn't see how much it hurt. "We could sit here all day and lay blame on one another," she said. "Never the less, Jethro, you are no longer an employee of NCIS… I cannot stop you from helping Ziva. But… if the FBI comes asking around if I've seen you… then I'm going to have to tell them."

"Yeah, yeah to protect the integrity of NCIS," Gibbs grumbled, fixing his eyes on Tony. "Am I done here, Jen?"

Tony wasn't surprised when Gibbs didn't wait to get approval to leave, he just left, slamming the door shut behind him. Licking his lips, he glanced at Jenny. "So… I'm guessing that you didn't bring it up that you haven't filed his retirement paperwork yet."

Jenny shot him a look. "He came in here ranting and raving about how I was leaving one of my agents high and dry. And then you walked in…"

"And what should I do about Ziva?"

"Either Ziva or Jethro contact you or anyone else on the team… notify the FBI."

He wasn't sure he liked it, but Ziva had turned down his offer to help. Tony nodded his head. "Yes, ma'am," he replied before leaving. With a heavy sigh he started back towards the bullpen, not at all startled that Gibbs was waiting for him. "I thought you went to help Ziva?"

Gibbs eyed the former senior field agent with a bit of distaste. "When did you become an ass kisser, DiNozzo?"

"What?"

"Don't play dumb. The agent I left behind wouldn't have let her push you around like that."

"Jenny isn't pushing me around. I can take care of myself, Gibbs. You don't have to worry about me."

"You're different. You wouldn't have taken _no _for an answer four months ago."

"People change in four months, Gibbs."

The former marine squared his shoulders at Tony. "When I said _you'll do _I meant you were the best one for the job, someone that wasn't going to play into their hands, always dig for the truth whether or not people liked you digging. The man I saw in there… was not the man I left behind. What the hell changed?"

Tony clenched his fists at his sides. "You left. You didn't even say good-bye, didn't give us any reasons as to _why. _One minute you didn't even know my name and then in the next you were handing me your badge and gun and saying 'you'll do'. I've spent four months busting my balls keeping this team together! And now, the moment Ziva is trouble… instead of calling me… she calls you… obviously all those months I spent working on team building meant squat to her! What gives, Gibbs? Am I supposed to be happy to see you back? Want me to go down there and throw you a party?"

Gibbs watched the angry storm clouds raging behind Tony's eyes. "I came because a friend asked for help. I would have done the same for you."

"Oh? Really? I called you how many times for advice—you never returned one call!"

"Because you had to forge your own path, Tony!"

"Yeah, yeah," Tony said with a wave of his hand. "Whatever. I know once you help Ziva you'll be back on a plane to Mexico without so much as a good-bye."

"I don't know what you want from me, DiNozzo," Gibbs stated, angry, tired, confused. "Just tell me, damnit!"

Tony felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw that it was from dispatch. "Don't have time. Call out. You know how those go…" he snarked, flipping the phone open and asking where his team needed to be. Without so much as a look in Gibbs direction, Tony went to gather _his _team and head out.


	10. Chivalry is Not Dead

**Warnings:** Slight spoilers for "Shalom", Season 4 in general

**A/N:** Like I said in my update to "Carry Me Through" yesterday, I'm going on vacation for the week, spur of the moment, last minute booked trip with my mum. I will not be bringing my laptop but I will have my iPad so I can write, but it is hard to edit on the iPad because of autocorrect. So, be on the lookout for updates next weekend :) I have a 90 minute layover in KC so I'll be using that to eat lunch and write :) Until then my lovelies have a great week!

**mandy153- **_So happy to hear you like the story :) Enjoy this next update!_

**NCISgirl1-** _If you like this story with Leah, you might want to read my "Unconditionally" series if you haven't already done so yet. I first introduced the character there, but when I started plotting this story out, she just fit so I reused her lol. She is by far my favorite OC that I've created so I plan to use her as much as I can._

* * *

Michelle Lee had only been with the MCRT for four months and even she could tell that Tony was on edge.

It was noticeable the moment Tony pulled up to the crime scene at a local mall parking lot and stepped out of the car. His green button down shirt was neatly pressed but it was obvious he was wearing the same exact jeans from the day before. His hair was a mess and he had not shaved. Michelle was beginning to believe that perhaps Tim and Ziva were right—Tony did have some mystery girlfriend that he did not want to tell them about.

She didn't see what the problem was. After all, she was keeping Jimmy a secret from everyone she knew… but it was really getting under Ziva's skin that Tony was in this new relationship. It had been really noticeable when their team leader had been over in Germany with the mystery woman. Michelle wasn't going to ask… but she was pretty sure of the answer… Ziva was jealous. And she was jealous because she was attracted to Tony.

_Well… do you blame her? _Michelle asked as she assembled her gear to dust for fingerprints on the car door. _He is rather good looking. _

"Ok. I probably have forty minutes until Gibbs calls me and starts yelling—again," Tony stated. "What have my little probies dug up so far?"

"Not much. Car is registered to a marine wife. It was found abandoned in this parking lot this morning," Michelle reported.

"According to some witnesses the car has been here for at least two days," Tim said, with a slight shake of his head. "No one has reported the wife missing."

Tony pursed his lips and looked at the beat up, early model of the Ford Focus. It was sad that no one noticed a woman had vanished. And time, when it came to missing persons, was of the essence. "Do we know where her husband is?"

Tim nodded. "I called Abby and had her look him up. He's deployed overseas in Iraq, been there six months, not secluded to return for another four."

"Damn. There goes my theory that the spouse did it."

"Could have hired someone."

Tony grinned at his senior field agent and quipped, "McGee… you've been working with me too long. You're starting to think like me!"

Tim frowned. "Great. I was hoping that wouldn't happen someday."

Michelle didn't comment as the two continued to banter. Their dynamic had intrigued almost as much as the one between Tony and Ziva. McGee often times wanted people to believe that he wasn't friends with Tony, but the reality was far from that. No one in their right mind would stick around after enduring all that hazing from both Gibbs and DiNozzo. Even she wondered why she was still working for this team. But Tony had a strange and endearing way of worming himself into your heart and no matter how annoying he could get—you still found you liked the guy. She was going to have to ask someday how he managed to do that.

"Ok, let's get a BOLO out on our missing marine wife," Tony said as he began to walk away. "And go interview the neighbors! Find out why no one reported her missing!"

"Where are you going?" Tim called after him, slightly annoyed. "In case you weren't aware—we're down a team member here!"

Michelle saw the grin that plastered the team leader's face. Tony waved and shouted, "I'm aware! See you two later!" And with that he was back in his car and racing off to only God knew where.

Tim grumbled as he began to pack his gear up and make arrangements for the car to be towed back to NCIS. "He can deny it all he wants—he's turning into Gibbs. Disappearing from crime scenes, throwing all the work on us… any day now, Michelle, his secrets are going to catch up to all of us, and just so you know—usually when this happens, it doesn't end well."

"He could be meeting his girlfriend."

"Oh… the mystery woman… I forgot about her with everything going on with Ziva."

"Speaking of Ziva," Michelle said, "Don't you think it's odd that we're not helping her?"

"You're the lawyer, Lee," Tim replied. "If she really is a suspect in the FBI's case… she's not helping her own by running from them to prove her innocence."

Michelle frowned, slightly. "True. Jimmy thinks it's kind of cold of Tony to turn his back on her."

Tim's shoulders stiffened and he took on a defensive posture. "Listen, Tony would do anything for his team. He would never turn his back, not unless he was told too. And you heard the Director, she doesn't want us to get involved. He had orders. And he had to follow them."

"Gibbs was in the building this morning."

_Of course. ZIva would call Gibbs before calling one of us. _Tim grabbed his gear. He didn't want to talk about this anymore. It hurt that Ziva didn't trust him enough to call and ask for help, hurt that she would leap over everyone at NCIS to call a retired agent that had just… well… walked out them… turned his back on them. "We have a lot of work to do and if we don't get it done… Tony really is going to turn into Gibbs."

* * *

Leah felt the playful tug on her French braid and turned to see Tony, grinning like a little boy, sitting behind her holding a cardboard drink tray. "You know… the last boy who tugged on my hair I punched in the nose and sent to the nurse's office," she said with a laugh.

Tony shrugged and waved her off. "Figured I'd take my chances," he said, cupping her face with his hand and bringing his mouth to hers in a quick kiss. "I stopped to get coffee and, well… looked over to see a _very _pretty face." He looked up at the group of college guys playing football, some of them wearing no shirts showing off their perfect six-packs, and felt a twinge of enjoyment when they looked surprised that someone as young as Leah was with him. "What is my little studious doctoral candidate working on?"

"A fifteen page research paper on Greek mythology. Would you care to read it?" Leah asked him, teasingly.

"Think I'll pass," Tony replied, looking at the notebook in her lap, scribbled with notes in the margins. "Just remember to use big words. Professors like that."

"I'm getting my PH.D, Anthony, I think I know a few things about college professors."

"Yeah? Do they know a few things about you too?"

Leah playfully hit him on the shoulder. She closed her notebook and gestured towards the second latte in the cardboard tray. "Is that for me? Or one of your co-workers that you're so terrified of me meeting?"

Tony wiggled the cardboard cup out of the tray and handed it to her. "For you, bella. My co-workers… can get their own coffee. We're not that chumy. And speaking of co-workers… you don't seem eager for me to meet yours, either."

She looked away for a moment, watched the group of boys playing, and then looked back at him. "Well… their mostly super, smart, nerdy guys. Not really your type. Oh… and a woman who has slept with half of Washington."

He chuckled. Wouldn't she be surprised to learn that his closest friend was a super smart nerdy guy? Tony hoped he got the chance to introduce them one day. "Really? Do I know her?"

"Doubt it. She only dates younger men," Leah said, gesturing towards the group of twenty-one and twenty-two year old guys.

"Too bad for her. She doesn't know what she's missing," Tony quipped with a grin.

Leah shifted on her blanket and managed to encase herself in his arms. She leaned back against his chest. "Do you have to go back to work soon?"

Tony glanced at his watch. He should probably check in within the next fifteen minutes or McGee might have the entire agency out looking for him. "I've got fifteen minutes before I have to go. You seem tense, bella. What's wrong?"

She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. "I keep thinking about this awful lunch with Jeanne and her mother. I know her mother wants to see me, I haven't seen her in a long time and since Jeanne basically shut me out of her life… I've kept my distance from any gatherings that the Benoits have been at. You know, I never had any intention... relations with her fiancée… that was all in her head."

He watched as she rose up a little and turned to face him, anger in her eyes. "You can't always stop what people are going to think. Did _he _have any intentions?"

"Mark is your typical heir to a CEO throne… what do you think?"

"Oh, I think lots of things, Leah. But I'm guessing he wanted a little romp and you wouldn't give it."

"Happened at a black tie fundraiser," Leah confessed. "He cornered me, alone in a room, came on to me, had his hands all over me… Jeanne caught him kissing me and he later told her we were having an affair to cover up the fact that he tried to assault me."

Tony's back straightened, his shoulders stiffened. "Did you want him to kiss you? To touch you?"

Leah shook her head. "No. Of course not… but he wouldn't take no for an answer…"

"He did assault you, Leah. There was no attempt," Tony growled. "Is _he _going to be at this lunch?"

"I… I don't know… Jeanne didn't say," Leah replied. "It happened so long ago, Tony. And he was drunk..."

"Doesn't matter! You told him _no _and he didn't stop," Tony snapped. "Swear to God, Leah, he shows up at that lunch I might slug him."

She took his face between her hands and kissed him. It made her feel good know how protective he was of her. She wasn't asking him to be that way, he just was naturally. She pulled back from their kiss and smiled, "You don't have to start a fight over me," she whispered, "just knowing you want too is enough."

He looked at her seriously. "Fine. I'll let it pass this time… but if he does something like this to you again…"

"I give you permission to punch him."

"Good."

"Now, can we just enjoy the ten minutes we have left?" she asked, settling back into his arms.

"Yes," he breathed, wrapping her tightly into his embrace. He kissed her temple. "Leah. I want you to know that I would never, ever hurt you."

Leah turned her face up towards him and smiled. "I know."

Tony quirked an eyebrow, giving her a curious look. "You do? We've only known each other for four months, how do you really know I wouldn't hit you?"

"I just do. You treat me like I'm your world. You're loyal and chivalrous. And men like you… you don't turn into wife beaters."

"And women think chivalry is dead."

She giggled and closed her eyes, soaking in his scent while they sat there lost in the moment. He had no intentions of moving but he felt the small vibration of his cell phone and realized that NCIS was probably looking for him. Tony shifted to take his phone out of his pocket and saw a text message alert. He glanced down at Leah to find her not really paying any attention to him and he flipped his phone open.

McGee had messaged him probably in a panic. _Get back to headquarters. FBI is here and they're furious._


	11. Tension

**Warnings:** No spoilers for this chapter. **Naughty content of the Jibbs variety.**

**A/N: **Do you ever have one of those moments writing and you're like WTF? Where did that come from? Well... I had that kind of moment at the end of this chapter. While I didn't necessarily like Jenny, I totally think her and Gibbs had something going on on the side, a friends with benefits deal if you will. Anyhow, since it has been so long that I updated this fic, I'll let you get to the chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

Tony never thought he would wish to be dealing with Fornell but Ron Sacks was going to make their lives hell. When he had arrived back at NCIS the bliss and carefree attitude he felt while being with Leah quickly disappeared.

McGee had been right—the FBI was ripping mad. And Sacks was going to make it known that he didn't like being jerked around. "It would have been nice to know that Special Agent Gibbs had returned from his sabbatical and was reinstated as an NCIS agent!" Sacks shouted at Tony when the team leader entered the Director's office. "He helped Officer David blow up a cabin today! I could have lost my team! Were you the one to send that anonymous tip that sent us to that NCIS safehouse?"

He eyed the Director, before Tony slid his arms over his chest. "Doesn't appear that any of you got hurt. And… Agent Gibbs has not been reinstated as an agent. Officer David contacted him on her own. And no, I wasn't the one that sent the tip. Sounds like someone set you up, Sacks."

"Do you have any idea what they're doing? Gibbs and David?" Sacks snarled.

"My best guess… trying to clear Ziva's name," Tony retorted, calmly.

"You knew he was here?"

"He came here demanding to know why I wasn't helping Ziva."

Sacks saw the other man's jaw clench. He suddenly pitied DiNozzo for having to put up with Gibbs. "And why aren't you?"

Tony's jaw clenched even more. "She refused my help," he answered honestly. "And frankly… I'm not sure this is worth risking my career over at the moment. Can I ask a question now?" He waited until Sacks nodded. "Where was that NCIS safehouse?"

"Fairfax."

"Fairfax? NCIS doesn't have a safe house in Fairfax at the current time," Jenny answered. Her shoulders went rigid. "But Mossad did."

"Mossad has a safe house in Fairfax? Why didn't they say anything when we called to question them?" Sacks inquired.

Jenny eyed Tony for a moment. "Because… it was one that Ziva set up for Ari."

Tony felt a cold fire spread across his skin, reminded of the fact that Jenny had known Ziva before Kate had been killed… had probably known Ari. _And she did nothing to stop it, _he thought angrily. He bit his lip, swallowing the angry comment he wanted to say.

Sacks saw the tension in the NCIS agent's body and he glanced at the Director, briefly. He knew most of the complicated story that surrounded Ari Hasswari and the Davids'—or at least he thought he knew. Perhaps there was something that had been left out of the report that the FBI had received. "Someone else had to have known about it… if it wasn't Gibbs or David that tipped me off. Does anyone else in Mossad know about it?"

"Tony," Jenny said, looking at the tense agent, "Get in touch with Gibbs. Tell him we need to meet."

* * *

McGee watched from a parked car as Gibbs strode up to Tony's table outside of the coffee house and pulled up a chair. "Can't believe we're spying on Gibbs," he muttered, more for Tony to hear in his earwig than for Michelle Lee taking photographs next to him.

Michelle paused for a second. "Not really spying. Gibbs has to know he's under surveillance."

"_So. That McGee watching us from over there, DiNozzo?" _Gibbs asked, his voice filling the car over the radio feed, as if on cue. "_Could have invited him to join us._"

"_Why did Ziva take you to the safehouse in Fairfax?" _Tony inquired, cutting right to the chase. "_Was she hoping to lead someone there? Or did you find who you were looking for?" _

McGee could see that Gibbs' shoulders stiffened. It was like watching two heavy weight fighters in a ring, only neither Tony nor Gibbs had taken a swing at one another. If Ziva were here she would remark that the testosterone was oozing off of them. McGee frowned and waited for the verbal punches to start flying… because when you pitted two angry bulls against one another, well… things were going to get ugly.

* * *

Tony sat in the sunshine of an early fall afternoon, his fingers curled around the bottom of a cardboard coffee cup and his eyes hidden by aviator sunglasses scanned the crowds of people for his former boss.

Jenny had set this meeting up—or rather she had forced Tony to do so. And even as he sat there, listening to the thoughtless mumblings of McGee and Lee in his ear while they waited for Gibbs to arrive, he couldn't help but loathe her for doing this to him. She knew that things were not good between the pair of agents and yet, here he was doing her dirty work. _No surprise, you're doing the same for her on the Frog case. _

He wanted to chuck his coffee cup and throw the middle finger up at the surveillance team—and Jenny cuz he knew she was watching somewhere—and be done with them all.

"So. That McGee watching us from over there, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, joining him and grinning as he spied the parked sedan. "Could have invited him to join us."

"Why did Ziva take you to the safehouse in Fairfax?" Tony snapped, not wanting to play games. Gibbs knew this wasn't a social call and Tony was going to come out swinging. "Was she hoping to lead someone there? Or did you find who you were looking for?"

Gibbs' body language changed, immediately. His shoulders went stiff. He could see that Tony was going to put up a fight. Why would he suspect that things were going to be any other way? "We didn't tip off the FBI if that's what you're implying. Guess Sacks stopped by, eh? Jenny trying to keep NCIS' nose clean in all this?"

Tony kept his composure—on the outside at least. He lifted his cup to his lips and took a long swallow. Gently he set the cup down. "Ziva didn't make it easy for us by walking away from a crime scene that killed two FBI agents and a foreign national. If she had stayed and offered her witness statement she wouldn't be in this mess. And you know that Gibbs. Stop trying to save Kelly—Ziva isn't your daughter."

"DiNozzo… you're dangerously close to my kicking your ass right this second," Gibbs growled.

"Go ahead. Bet all these people will testify at your assault hearing," Tony snapped, his anger simmering underneath the surface. "Ziva played you boss."

"I owe her."

"For what? Helping you kill Ari?"

Gibbs shook his head. "You wouldn't understand."

Tony tightened his jaw. "Try me, Gibbs. I'm smarter than I let on."

On the table, the NCIS agent's cell phone rang. Gibbs watched as Tony glanced at it and hit ignore. _The girlfriend. _Gibbs had heard Ziva mention this mystery woman to him while they were looking for Eschel. Was she the big reason for the change in Tony? Or was it Jenny? Either way, Gibbs didn't see the same man he'd left sitting before him. "You've changed."

"So have you," Tony responded. "Stop trying to distract me. Answer my question. Are you helping Ziva because of what she did for you?"

"Does it really matter how or why I'm helping her? Right now it appears I'm the only one," Gibbs replied.

"Hell yes it matters, Gibbs. Especially if she's using it to play you! To manipulate you! She is trained in espionage after all," Tony snapped, hotly.

Gibbs realized Tony was right. He was smarter than he let on. Well, to be honest, Gibbs already knew that. It was one of the reasons he had given the job to Tony. Pushing his chair back he tossed some down onto the table to cover for the coffee. "You can tell Jenny that NCIS' nose will still be clean when this is all said and done." Gibbs glanced towards the car where the other two agents were sitting and watching. With a little bit of slump to his aching shoulders, the former marine crossed the street and disappeared into the metro station, leaving his former team sitting there wondering what exactly they were going to do next.

* * *

Jenny knew that Gibbs would call once he'd met with Tony. She also knew that Gibbs would be stark raving mad and looking for fight with her, or something else from her. So, she wasn't surprised when her phone rang thirty minutes after the meeting with Tony ended. "You've put my agency in a delicate position, Jethro."

Gibbs might have reached through the phone and strangled her if he could. "_Delicate position? You've completely ignored an agent in need! Not to mention you've done a hell of a job brainwashing DiNozzo! Nice job on him by the way." _

"Agent DiNozzo is his own free thinking person. I have not brainwashed him in any sense," Jenny defended herself. "Did you ever stop to think that he's a product of your training?"

"_Product of my training, huh? The man I just sat and had coffee with IS NOT a product of my training," _Gibbs hissed. "_He's far from it."_

"Why don't you come to NCIS to discuss this with me?" Jenny offered, just as her door flung open and Gibbs stepped inside, slamming the door shut. She hung up her phone patiently.

Gibbs glared at her for all of thirty seconds before he crossed the space between them and came within inches of her. He didn't scream or shout, but something certainly snapped within him—a memory, his attraction to her—especially when she was angry—and he grabbed her face between his hands and kissed her. Hot, heavy. In no time he had her skirt undone and around her ankles and she in return had his jeans pushed to the floor.

Jenny wasn't going to protest. Being at the head of a federal agency left very little time to date and she had long ago let the notion of romantic lovemaking go. Now, casual sex was all she had time for. Gibbs could never give her more than that. It was why she had run in the first place, written the _Dear John _letter to him. Since meeting again last year they had taken up their physical aspect of their relationship and she was fine with that.

So was he. Somehow they ended up a mess of tangled limbs on her coffee table, magazines squished beneath her bottom and their clothes scattered about. This was how sex usually was between them—raw, intense and angry. She would be lying if she said there were no emotional strings attached but their jobs dictated that this was all they could give each other. It was just going to have to be enough.

It didn't take them long to reach their high and they collapsed onto the coffee table, panting, their skin glistening with beads of sweat. Gibbs growled in her ear, "I've missed this Jen."

"You never had to leave. You could still be having this regularly if you wished," Jenny panted, looking around the room through her haze to find her clothes.

"Couldn't stay," Gibbs breathed, pushing off of her and grabbing his jeans off the floor. He slipped back into his boxers and pants and draped his shirt on over his shoulders. "You know why I had to go. But I didn't expect you to make my agents unrecognizable."

Jenny fixed her disheveled blouse and pulled her panties on. Calmly she retrieved her skirt and donned it once it again. "I have no intentions of changing Tony, Jethro. If you think he's changed… perhaps that's because he has done so on his own."

Gibbs set his jaw. "Don't mess with him Jen. I know that he and I aren't on the best of terms right now… but he's still family to me." He left it that, buttoned his shirt up and walked swiftly out of her office. She didn't try to stop him. Jenny had set up these boundaries between them when it came to sex. She was a more kiss and let him run type now. And honestly, Gibbs was okay with that because deep down he knew he could never make another emotional connection to a woman ever again like he had Shannon. He'd come, gotten what he needed out of her… given her what she needed out of him… and now it was time to get back to work figuring out why Ziva was being framed.


	12. Hurt

**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Shalom", people who don't think the team treated Tony poorly while Gibbs was gone may not like this chapter, just saying.

**A/N: **Feedback is always appreciated :)**  
**

* * *

"So, wait… you're telling me that Italians didn't invent pizza? You're challenging my very belief system here, bella," Tony said, between nibbles of the slice of cheesy pizza pie he was eating.

"Not really, they invented the _modern _idea of pizza but it was the Greeks that first put toppings on flat-bread," Leah replied, smiling while she ate. "But the Italians perfected it, if that makes you feel better."

Tony grinned and finished his pizza. After a very long and tense day he was happy to be sitting in a small pizza parlor near George Washington University sharing a pizza with his girlfriend. With his case handed off to another team so he could deal with Gibbs, Tony found his agents twiddling their thumbs once they made it back to NCIS after his less than spectacular meeting with the boss man. He'd sent them home for the night and met Leah, needing an escape.

Leah had pulled out her braid from earlier in the day and pulled her long hair back into a bun, a few wispy pieces falling in her eyes. The sun she had gotten that day had brought out the freckles on her nose and she looked even younger than she already was. Tony could see some of the looks the twenty year old guys that came into the pizza joint were throwing him—looks of _wow, old guy with the hot young girl! Good for him! _And there were the disgusted looks of the female co-eds. Age was just a number. His father had lived by that mantra for years.

He reached across the table and clasped her hand. She smiled, sweetly at him. Thanks to Ziva going rogue and Gibbs reappearing, Jenny had forgotten all about Leah, the Benoits and his undercover operation. And for this he was grateful. For a few blissful hours, days, he had been able to enjoy Leah's presence without having to worry about all those other things.

"Are you ready for Sunday?"

"What? Our lunch with Ms. Benoit, her mother and her fiancée?"

"Yes. Our lunch date."

"Been practicing my smile and nod all week."

Leah giggled and took another slice of pizza. Tony was amazed by how much she could eat for such a tiny woman. Of course, she did run at least three miles a day—she had been begging him to join her. Tony had kept declining in fear of seeing a fellow agent out on the path and then he would have some explaining to do…

Tony felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. _You've gotta be kidding me. Jenny said she took us off rotation until this thing with Ziva blew over. _ He reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out, noticing that he had a text message from Gibbs. He frowned at the phone in his hand. What did Gibbs want? He knew that Tony's hands were tied.

"Something wrong?" Leah asked, breaking the silence.

"Boss," Tony answered, absentmindedly. "He wants me to meet him."

"Now?" she inquired, sounding disappointed. "I was hoping that you'd come back to my apartment."

"Things aren't good between my boss and I right now," he answered, honestly.

Leah sighed and let go of his hand. "Go," she whispered.

Tony felt terrible. "Are you sure? I can tell him I have somewhere else to be."

She shook her head, the stray pieces of hair that had fallen loose from her bun falling into her eyes and covering them. "No, you should go. Nothing worse than a pissed off boss."

He sighed and smiled, softly. Leaning over the table he kissed her cheek. Yeah, nothing worse than a pissed off boss and especially when that boss, even former boss, had been a marine.

* * *

Gibbs thought that meeting Tony without the team looking on and listening in would bring the agent he knew back… but it didn't. In fact, as Tony strode up towards him on the National Mall that evening he looked even more annoyed than when they had met at the coffee shop hours ago. In the pale moonlight Gibbs got a really good look into how much Tony had changed physically. He'd put on a little more muscle, was a bit leaner… _Ziva was right… new woman. _

Tony shoved his hands into his pockets and stopped a safe distance from Gibbs. "If you're summoning me here to help you and Ziva—I can't. Meeting you today was a favor for the FBI. Jenny didn't think you'd come out if Sacks was the one to call."

"Not summoning you to help with Ziva. I know where you stand on that even if I don't agree with it," Gibbs snapped.

"So what the hell do you want, Gibbs?" Tony hissed, clenching his fists at his sides. "Did you want to see if I'd coming running to you at the drop of a hat."

"You got a problem with me, DiNozzo?"

"Yeah! You left! And that hurt! But now… you expect me to just pick up right where we left off!"

Gibbs didn't feel like having this argument. Tony was acting like a spoiled child. It had been years since he had to deal with a spoiled child. "I expected you to do the job _I _trained you to do. Not turn your back on a team member."

Tony ran his tongue over his lips. Okay, time to lay it all out…even if it meant this could very well come to blows. "You know what to know what it's been like for me since you jaunted on down to Mexico with Franks? Not peachy, that's for sure! Michelle is afraid of her own shadow at times! I'm not sure she's ever fired a gun besides her fire arms test! McGee… most days he's fine, but some days, he adds a bit of smugness to his coffee and becomes all _Mr. M.I.T _and _I'm smarter than you. _ Don't get me started on Abby… slapping a _trainee _sticker on me my first day leading because she wanted me to be just like you! And then there is Ziva… more obsessed over my new girlfriend than her own job, accusing me of prodding into her private life but doing the same with my own! Why? Why would I want to help _any _of them after the way they've acted?"

He blinked, not sure what to say, not even sure what kind of expression he wore. Gibbs had expected some kind of backlash of his abrupt departure but not like this, not all of them making life miserable for Tony some days. Sure, that went with the territory of being a team leader but they had never been like this around him. "Where's Jenny been? Why hasn't she told them to stop?"

"Jenny?" Tony repeated, his voice low, hushed—a stark comparison to his shouting just seconds before. "Jenny," he rehashed, laughing angrily, "has her own personal problems."

"Part of her job is to look out for her agents," Gibbs said, feeling rage begin to boil just underneath the surface. "Why hasn't she had your back?"

"Because she's waiting for you to come home!" Tony yelled, glaring at him. "Who else is she going to get sex from by the snap of her fingers?"

Gibbs' eyes grew dark. While it was no lie that he and Jenny had casual sex when it suited them—he had just come from such a session with her—hearing the hateful way that Tony threw that out there made him angry. He drew in a deep breath to keep his hands at his sides, to stop himself from beating Tony to the ground. "Are you criticizing me for having casual sex, DiNozzo?"

Tony scoffed and then laughed, harshly. His eyes were hard, trying to mask the hurt he was feeling… the sting of betrayal he felt every time he looked at his former boss. "I would never dare to criticize you, Gibbs. Just an observation I made. You taught me to observe, boss, remember?"

He did remember. It was one of the things that he'd been able to pull from the fractured pieces of his memory since the explosion. Gibbs truly cared for Tony but he had been a man that had never been able to expression those emotions. The only person that had been able to get him to express them well had been Shannon and she was gone. Tony would have liked her…she would have liked Tony. "I remember," he said, softly, his anger dissipating. "I remember teaching a kid from Baltimore how to think for himself, how to stick to his guns… trust his gut."

"You don't think I'm sticking to my guns, huh? You think I'm Jenny's new puppet?"

"Surely, someone, somewhere, is pulling the strings, DiNozzo."

Oh, how he wanted to tell Gibbs about screwing up the undercover operation by misidentify Jeanne… how he had insisted to Jenny that dating Leah was the better option to get in… but he didn't. Tony kept his mouth shut. If not to protect himself but to protect Leah. "Are you upset that it's not you, Gibbs?"

Gibbs scowled and opened his mouth to snap back when his phone rang. He pulled it out and saw it was his landline. Ziva. Gibbs had been gone for a while, she was probably getting impatient that he was not back from NCIS yet. Flipping the phone open, he glanced once at Tony. "Not a good time, Ziver."

Tony's face didn't show any signs of emotion while Gibbs talked to Ziva and the former marine made no attempts to hide his conversation. He glanced at his watch and wondered if he would still have time to go to Leah's apartment…

"You stay right there! I don't care if you found Eschel!" But even as Gibbs ordered it, and he heard the phone click, he knew that Ziva wasn't going to follow that order.

"Problems?" Tony inquired, emotionless.

It was an understatement. Gibbs had a thousand different problems it seemed right now. Jenny. Ziva. His inability to patch up his relationship to the closest person he had to a son...

Tony stood, silent, his eyes clouding over to mask his emotions. Truthfully it was killing him how strained their relationship was at this point but it had to be this way. He had been burned too many times to let the mask fall. Every time he did that it seemed that he got hurt. Danny had betrayed him in Baltimore and he had walked away thinking that things were going to be different with Gibbs. But it turned out they were not and it hurt. He couldn't let Gibbs see that hurt and use it against him. So, he stood silent.

Gibbs shoved a piece of paper into Tony's chest when he saw that the younger man wasn't going to ask what was going. He snarled underneath his breath to give that name to Sacks as he walked away because he knew that Tony was going to report this to the FBI—his job was much too important to him to pretend it didn't happen.


	13. Should Have Been Better

**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Shalom", "Probie", "Twilight" and "Kill Ari"

**A/N: **Slim pickings on this site for reading if you are a fan of whole team stories or even well written character centric stories. Hope mine makes up for some of that. **Thank you to everyone that has favorited, or followed or even left a review. I love to hear from you so please, feel free to let me know what you think or any ideas you might have :)**

* * *

Tony listened to the even breathing of his lover while she slept, watched as she sighed and cuddled against him. He couldn't sleep, the conversation with Gibbs keeping him awake and nagging at him. What the hell was he doing, pushing the closet thing he had to a father away? Granted, what Gibbs had done, quitting without so much as a good-bye hurt… but he had been hurt worse by his biological father—and he wasn't fighting him every chance he got.

Leah snuggled against him, her hair tickling his bare chest. Tony wished that he could talk to her—really talk to her—about what was going on. But he couldn't… he had to protect her… he had to keep her safe…

On her nightstand his phone beeped. Tony dislodged one of his arms from around Leah and reached for it. He was half surprised to see that it was Gibbs, after the way they left things, with the former marine knowing that Tony would turn information over to Sacks… _FBI wants your help. _

Tony took a deep breath and looked at Leah. He could ignore the message. Tell Gibbs in the morning that his phone was off and start a whole new argument about rule three. Or, he could quietly sneak out of Leah's apartment and head to the Navy Yard. It wasn't often that the FBI asked for his help. And it definitely was not often that Ron Sacks asked for his help. He gently kissed her temple, stirring her. "Hey," he whispered when her eyes sleepily opened, "Gotta go."

Leah glanced at the clock. "It's four in the morning. Where are you going?" she asked, sincerely.

_Oh, how I wish I could tell you. Jenny would have a fit if I did. _Tony pressed his lips to hers, tenderly. "Work. Meet me for lunch?"

She tightened her hold on his waist and buried her face against his chest. "What if I don't want you to leave yet? You can just tell them you didn't hear your phone."

He laughed. "Only if I have a strong death wish. Promise, bella, I'll be there for lunch."

"Fine," Leah sighed, sleepily. She released her hold on him and was back to sleep before he had even climbed out of bed and gotten dressed.

* * *

"Where's Sacks?" Tony questioned when he pulled his Mustang in to the rest area that Gibbs requested they meet.

"Don't know," Gibbs said, honestly. "Half expected him to be following me around after you told him about Eschel."

Tony realized that he'd been tricked. _Son of a bitch. _"You think dragging me out of bed, tricking me into helping you—is going to fix this, Gibbs? Because I can tell you it's not! My job is on the line here! Doesn't that matter to you!"

Gibbs tossed his empty cardboard cup into a nearby trash can. "Don't worry about your precious job, DiNozzo—I spoke to Sacks and Jenny. They agreed that this is NCIS' problem now and as long as we end Eschel over to the FBI once we're done… no harm, no foul."

_No harm, no foul, easy for him to say_, Tony thought angrily. He slammed the door to his Mustang shut and locked the car. If he backed down now he would be disobeying Jenny's orders, apparently. "How do I know you're not lying to me again? Do I honestly know that when I show up at NCIS later the FBI isn't going to arrest me for tampering with their investigation… that Jenny isn't going to fire me?"

He tossed a piece of paper at Tony. The NCIS agent caught it midair and looked it over. It was in Jenny's handwriting, with a signature from Ron Sacks himself. He frowned, thinking back to that conversation on the National Mall. Who was the puppet master right now? Because, clearly, Tony wasn't in charge of any of his choices. "Fine. Guess you're my boss for the day, just like old times, eh Gibbs?"

"Get in the truck," Gibbs ordered, keeping the venom out of his voice.

"Oh yay, a field trip!" Tony snapped, sarcastically as he climbed in. "I love these!"

Gibbs started his old pick-up and drove towards the highway, leaving Tony's beloved Mustang behind. As they drove towards the motel that he had tracked Ziva too, Gibbs noticed how silent his former second in command was. Things were worse off between them than Gibbs had originally believed. He wished Shannon were alive… she would know what to do… she would have been able to give him the words to make this better.

Tony ignored his former boss as best he could, tried to ignore the hurt look in Gibbs' blue eyes, until he whispered, "You want to know why I'm desperate to keep my job? There's this girl… who I want to better myself for, Gibbs. If I get axed… it isn't going to look good now is it?"

He sighed and gripped the wheel. Of course there was a woman involved. Wasn't there always? Gibbs pursed his lips. "You think this girl is going to like your lack of loyalty?"

If looks could kill, Tony's would have destroyed Gibbs. "Lack of loyalty? When has Ziva ever been loyal to me? To you—sure! But me? Never. I'm just the disgusting gum that stuck to her shoe that needs to be scraped off…"

"Ziva cares about you more than you think."

"She has a funny way of showing it, Gibbs."

"Part of her training. Never get too attached. It's dangerous."

Tony looked at him then, his green eyes sore and longing for things that just couldn't be anymore. "Is that your excuse, Gibbs? That the emotional distance was part of your training? I've felt it since Kate died, Gibbs… you've kept me and Tim at arm's length. When Tim shot that cop last year… you never went by his apartment to check on him. I think that hurt him, boss."

Gibbs winced. He was never good with the mushy stuff. "I knew you'd do it, Tony."

"What if I hadn't?"

"There was no shot in hell that you weren't going to do it. Tim is your partner, your friend, and you took care of him."

"Why didn't you return the favor after Kate died?"

"Huh?"

Tony shuddered, fighting the pain of Kate's memory. "Kate was my partner, boss. I had her blood on my face. I watched her die and I was just as helpless as you. Yet, you went flying off the handle to get Ari. You trusted in Ziva to help you…even when you knew that Ari was her brother. You shoved me on a plane to Indiana where I had to tell Kate's parents that you were held up and I didn't know if you'd make it in time to the funeral. My heart broke that day Gibbs and you were no where to be found afterwards to help."

Gibbs pulled the pick-up truck off the highway and headed down a long, narrow pine tree lined road. He could admit that mistake, of not being there for his team after Kate's passing… he just assumed that Abby and Tim… _of course Abby and Tim didn't help Tony… they were too hurt to help… they NEEDED Tony. _ "I'm sorry… I should… I should have been better."

He didn't say anything. Tony fell silent for the rest of the ride to the motel. It was obvious that their relationship was going to take more than _I'm sorry, _to repair it.

* * *

"Afternoon," McGee greeted as he stepped into the bullpen after coming from a dentist appointment. He looked around to see that Tony's desk was empty. "Where's DiNozzo?"

"Didn't show up this morning," Michelle said, munching on her daily morning snack of apple slices. "Rumor has it that the FBI requested him to find Ziva."

_Oh, that isn't going to go well, _McGee thought as he took his seat at his desk and booted up his computer. After the confrontation with Gibbs' yesterday, McGee wondered how much more Tony was going to be able to take before completely snapping. Which, if Tony caught up to Gibbs with Ziva… he could see the two men coming to blows. "Any word on Gibbs?"

Michelle finished her apples and tossed the plastic baggie away. "Went with Tony. I guess Ziva called Gibbs last night and knew where the guy who had framed her was and went off on her own. FBI thinks it would better if it appears that Tony is helping rather than to send the FBI with Gibbs to find her."

McGee sipped his coffee and shook his head. What a mess and it all could have been avoided if Ziva had just come back to NCIS in the first place, or stayed at the Israeli embassy until her father had smoothed the situation over. As it was, NCIS was probably in hot water with Homeland Security for her actions. This was not going to end just because the real perpetrator was caught.

He heard the ding of the elevator and happened to look up. Tony strode off first, wearing the same black polo shirt and jeans he had one from the day before. He was followed by Gibbs in that ridiculous Hawaiian shirt he was touting and then a battered Ziva stepped off. McGee blinked several times seeing the bruises on her face, suffered in an obviously vicious fight. Something landed on his desk and he realized it was a recorder. "Process this," Tony snapped.

"What is it?" McGee inquired, looking at it in the evidence bag.

"Confirmation that Ziva wasn't responsible for that bomb going off," Tony replied. He glared slightly at her and then spat, "I have a meeting with Director Shepard."

McGee watched as Tony stord out of the squad room and up the stairs towards Jenny's office. He could see that his partner was fired up, angry even. But it was Ziva that muttered, almost spitefully, "Why is he so ticked off? He got what he wanted."

Gibbs looked at McGee and just quietly nodded at the recorder on the younger man's desk. "All the information that he needs to know is on that recorder, Ziver. Give him some time, he's angry at me for roping him into this."

Ziva scoffed and went to her desk. "If he had just helped me in the first place…"

McGee glanced quietly at Gibbs before grabbing the recorder. "Sorry, I'd love to chat boss…"

Gibbs waved him off, "But you have a job to do."

"Yeah…"

"Hey, McGee."

McGee turned on his way out of the bullpen and saw Gibbs looking at him, coolly. "Yes, boss?"

Gibbs set his jaw. "Ease up on, DiNozzo, okay? He's doing his best."

* * *

Tony dropped down into a chair and glanced up at the television where Jenny had the news report running on the FBI bringing down a terror plot. Of course it was really Gibbs and Ziva that had brought it down, but in order to keep NCIS' nose clean, Tony had relented to giving the FBI credit. God, he was exhausted. He wanted to go home and go back to bed.

Of course, things weren't going to work out that way. His cell had been buzzing for nearly an hour now. Tony had missed lunch with Leah and didn't bother to call. He licked his lips and glared at the television. "It wasn't that exciting in person," he drawled. "And Gibbs didn't _need _me there. He was just using it to try to patch things up."

Jenny shut the television off with her remote. "Did it work?" she asked, softly.

He shook his head. "No," Tony stated, simply, not offering anymore.

She sighed, seeing the pain in his eyes. Was this how it felt for Gibbs when she had pushed her career over their partnership? Probably. And they were still working on fixing their relationship all these years later. "Well, it's done now. We have other things to focus on."

"If you mean my using my relationship with Leah Dawson to bring down an arms' dealer, well, that's probably not going to work."

"What do you mean? I thought you were still seeing her?"

Tony sighed, heavily. "I was supposed to meet her for lunch over an hour ago. Gibbs and Ziva had me preoccupied, obviously. I didn't call. You're a woman, you tell me what's going to happen. I already think I have a pretty good idea."

Jenny clenched her fists. She hardly doubted that Leah was going to dump him just because he missed one lunch, then again, relationships had broken up for stranger things. "You need to go call her, _now. _I'll handle Ziva and her punishment."

He stood and pulled his shirt down, tightly over his toned body. "Sure about that, Jenny. She thinks she's in the clear."

She set her jaw. "She still went rogue. Still didn't listen to her father's orders to stay put. I'm putting a formal reprimand on her file."

"Wish I could be here to see that," Tony mused as he reached for the door. "But I got an undercover mission to salvage. Good luck."

"Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"Where's Gibbs?"

Tony swallowed knowing the answer before he even made his way back to the bullpen. "If I had to take a guess, probably on his way back to Mexico right now." Both of them could deny it all they wanted but it hurt like hell that Gibbs hadn't bothered to say good-bye to them—again.

* * *

_Gibbs will be back, don't worry. Next chapter McGee and Tony chat, and Ziva's none too happy about having a reprimand in her file._


	14. Jealousy and Lies

**Warnings: **None for this chapter.

**A/N: **Wrapping up this whole "Shalom" arc. Onward, friends :) Enjoy! And remember feedback is welcome :)

* * *

Leah stepped out of the classroom to find Tony, leaning against the wall waiting for her. He saw her immediately and his eyes grew as large as saucers while he silently begged for her forgiveness. Normally, she wasn't one to make her boyfriend grovel… but well… he had stood her up…

Tucking her books and notebook underneath her arm, she walked briskly passed him and headed outside. Tony followed on her heels, trying his best to explain why he had failed to show up for their lunch and why he had failed to call her to inform her that he was going to be late. Leah only heard one lame excuse after another and judging from the look on his face, he knew they were lame too. Finally she spun on her heel to face him. "Do you think I'm stupid?" she snapped.

"What? No!" Tony said, blinking rapidly. "It's obvious you're not if you're here getting a doctorate degree."

"So why are you giving me _dumb _excuses?" Leah challenged him.

Tony took a deep breath. Why was it so hard to just come out with the truth? "It's complicated."

Leah closed her eyes tightly, fighting tears, fighting the urge to just end things right here and now. He certainly didn't deserve to be dumped… it was just the one time… but she felt like she was competing with his job and she was… tired of that. When she opened her eyes to look at him, a lone tear leaked out. "What is that you can't tell me? Are you… are you CIA? A spy? Someone that handles in classified information that would make my mother blush or something?"

He looked away, shoved his hands into his pockets. Tony could sense that this could very well end their relationship. Not their missed lunch but the apparent wedge his job was shoving between them. He looked at her again, the few tears in her eyes, the ones that had rested on her cheeks… "I'm not a spy. I'm a… I'm a federal agent for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and my name isn't Tony DiNardo… it's Anthony DiNozzo."

"Why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?" Leah whimpered, those final few tears letting go. "Am I not trustworthy enough to know the truth?"

"Of course you are," Tony assured her, taking a small step towards her, "I just… it's complicated."

She hugged her books to her chest, placing a barrier between them. Leah didn't know what to do… he was finally being honest with her… okay, well, not completely honest. He still would not tell her why he'd lied to her in the first place. If she stayed with him how many more lies was he going to tell? But she knew if she walked away, it would break her heart. He was the first man she had allowed in, in a long time, the first one that she had ever seen a possible future with… "I think… I think I need some time."

His face fell, eyes clearing showing his pain. Tony stepped back, giving her some space. "Okay. You can call me when you're ready."

Leah turned, quickly on heel, rushing the rest of the way down the steps and out of the building so he wouldn't see her burst into tears.

* * *

Ziva wasn't sure why Jenny wanted to see her.

After signing the evidence over to the FBI earlier in the day Gibbs had left to catch a flight back to Mexico and Tony had disappeared to… well, only Tony knew. She suspected that it had something to do with the new girlfriend and she felt a surge of jealous feelings run through her. What was so special about this girl that Tony dropped everything to be with her but wouldn't help out his partner of a year? She might be new to all this investigating business but she had been under the impression that partners _always _came first…

Jenny looked troubled when Ziva entered the office. Considering that Gibbs had flown the coup before saying good-bye, Ziva was not surprised. The former marine leaving abruptly could also be the reason why Tony had vanished as well. He really was acting like a spoiled child when it came to Gibbs…

"You wanted to see me, Director?"

"Yes. Shut the door, Ziva."

Ziva closed the door behind her and went to stand in front of Jenny's desk. "Was there something wrong with my findings?" she asked, wondering why Jenny could possibly want to see her. "I did it by the book."

Jenny frowned and shook her head. "How you obtained the recordings was done by the book… however… getting to that point was not. You made life hell for DiNozzo and myself by refusing to listen to your father. Now, since I wasn't the one that ordered you to stay at the embassy and stay out of it… I can't really punish you other than a formal reprimand in your file. Your father, if he wants, can hand down more."

"Punishment?" Ziva repeated, venom in her voice. "Punishment for what? I did not plant that bomb!"

"You disobeyed an order from Mossad to stay out of it," Jenny pointed out, calmly. "And then you sought out Gibbs to help you."

"What else was I supposed to do? Someone was trying to frame me," Ziva spat. "And after _I _helped Tony when someone was framing him… I figured the offer would be reciprocated."

"Tony was under orders from me not to get involved," Jenny informed her. "He found you at Gibbs and did offer… why did you turn him down?"

Ziva scoffed. "Why? The offer was no genuine. He didn't want to help. I could see that I was taking time away from his _precious _girlfriend."

Jenny looked at her, pensively. Had Ziva let her normal, cool composure on her emotions, her guard down? She would admit that Tony had a way of charming himself into anyone's heart and lives, it was what made him so good undercover… but she never thought that Ziva of all people would… "Are you jealous?"

She refused to answer that question directly. Instead, Ziva crossed her arms over her chest and raised her chin, slightly. "I just think that he is too… incredibly preoccupied with this woman that he is not applying himself to the job. She should not be more important than what we are doing, is that correct?"

It didn't surprise Jenny that this young woman didn't understand the complexities of a romantic relationship. She had been taught that men and sex were expendable in the line of duty, the fight for _the cause_. In Mossad, it had to be this way. One could not be attached to anyone with such dangerous missions, but here at NCIS… things were different. "Tony's personal life is… sometimes for our mental well being with have to put others before the job… do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes. Tony's personal life is his own," Ziva huffed. "Am I done here, Director?"

"For now. Ziva… I'm sorry you feel you're being unnecessarily punished here, but given the circumstances… it could have been a lot worse," Jenny replied.

Ziva didn't respond. She turned swiftly on her heel and threw the door open. She stormed back to the bullpen to find that Tony _still _had not shown up. McGee and Michelle didn't seem too concerned. They were under the impression that Jenny had given Tony the rest of the day off after dragging him out of bed early that morning to assist Gibbs. Ziva knew otherwise… or at least she felt otherwise.

* * *

McGee found the team leader in the NCIS gym. Tony was wearing black sweatpants and a gray Ohio State tee shirt. It was apparent he'd been at the gym for some time because the shirt was stained with the field agent's sweat.

From the way Tony was beating the crap out of the punching bag… well… it was obvious that his friend had some issues that he needed to sort out. McGee was sure that those issues revolved around Gibbs but he wasn't going to say anything…Tony might just turn on him and use him as the punching bag. "Hey… Mulvaney called… he's been looking for you…"

Tony pulled back, dropped his hands to his sides and used one to wipe the sweat from his brow. "Phone is off."

"Uh…" McGee started to recite rule three but then heard Gibbs' voice in his head… _go easy on him. _"We've got a case. If you want, I'll take Ziva and Michelle ahead to the crime scene so you can shower."

"Ziva meet with Jenny yet?" Tony asked, finding his towel and using to finish wiping his face clean. "Since my phone is off… don't know if either one of them called me."

McGee nodded. "Yeah. She, ah, she wasn't too happy when she came back. Something about a formal reprimand in her file."

Tony chuckled, lowly. "Well, that's what happens when you don't listen to dear old Daddy and he's the head of a powerful agency. Let me grab a quick shower. I'll meet you at the crime scene." He reached for his gym back and slung it over his shoulder. He was halfway to the locker room when McGee called out to him. Slowly he turned, "Yeah?"

"Everything okay?"

"Fine. Why do you ask?"

McGee gestured towards the punching bag. "Because that bag just took a hell of a beating."

Tony frowned. "Girl problems, McGee."

When it wasn't followed by a _you wouldn't understand, _McGee knew that this was serious. He suddenly felt bad for Tony. Obviously this relationship was important to him, maybe the most serious one that McGee had ever seen Tony enter. "Sorry, Tony. Anything I can do to help?"

"Unless you know how to travel back in time McGeek…"

"Haven't figured that out yet…"

"Then, no, you can't help me," Tony sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'll see you at the crime scene," he whispered and then was gone.

McGee stood there for a while feeling terrible. It seemed that everything in his partner's life was crumbling and the only thing he could do was stand there and watch it happen. Slowly he turned and went back upstairs to get the team and one awful thought crossed his mind, _well, Ziva will be happy now that the mystery girlfriend seems to be out of the picture. _


	15. I Miss You

**Warnings:** None for this chapter.

**A/N:** Happy hump day! Here is a new chapter for your reading pleasure! Enjoy! Feedback is very much appreciated :)

* * *

The rest of the week came and went with no phone call from Leah. Tony had resigned to the fact that he had royally screwed up by telling her the truth when she was already mad at him and that the relationship was over. He just didn't know how to break it to Jenny that he'd lost his only way into the Benoit family.

For now the Director had not asked where they stood on the case and he had been too busy closing out their latest case to bother to pop in to inform her. Tony knew the meeting wasn't going to go well. As far as Jenny was concerned, getting Rene Benoit was her top priority… bordering on obsession really. While she could make level headed decision about other cases, she didn't seem able to make one on the Benoit case. There was something personal at stake here…

Speaking of personal… it had not taken Ziva long to figure out that Tony was having trouble in paradise. He was forlorn and grumpy. More sharp with the team than normal. It was hard _not _to notice his mood change. Just like it was hard not to notice the way Ziva was strutting around like a peacock now that Tony's relationship had gone south.

McGee, on the other hand, had been doting on him… that was the best way to describe it—making sure he had his favorite coffee and pastry every morning, offering to pay for lunch…

Tony almost wished for the old McGee back because then that would give him someone to tease, to focus all his pent up frustrations on. _Well… maybe that isn't fair to heap all of that anger and hurt on Tim… he's a good little probie after all. _

By Saturday morning Tony had enough of McGee's pity and Ziva's strutting and was happy for the weekend. It would give him forty-eight hours free of his team, free to do whatever it was he wanted. He got up early for a jog. The weather was starting to cool making it more comfortable to run outdoors than it was in the summer months and the jog would give him a chance to clear his head—and resist the temptation to call Leah. _She has to reach out to you… _

"Wasn't expecting to see you out and about this early, Anthony," his kindly neighbor greeted when he popped out of the front door.

"Just want to get a jump start on the day, Harry," Tony replied with a smile at the older man.

"Rough week, eh?" Harry guessed. A retired detective, Harry knew all too well what the job could bring.

Tony sighed and nodded. "Rough doesn't begin to describe it." He bid the neighbor farewell and set out on his jogging route. It really was just what he needed. He felt instantly better when he made it back to his apartment and a shower. Cleanly shaved and dressed, Tony was ready to tackle the rest of the day when his cell phone buzzed on the kitchen table. Sadly, it was not the one he had been issued for his undercover assignment—the one that Leah would have used to contact him—but his work one. Something must have happened. He flipped his cell phone open and gruffly answered, "DiNozzo."

"_We need to talk," _Jenny's voice snapped. "_Did you know that Mrs. Benoit was going to be in town this weekend." _

"Yeah. I was aware of it," Tony replied, rubbing his temple.

"_And the Dawsons' are having nothing?" _Jenny inquired.

"Leah's parents are still summering on the Cape," Tony replied, honestly.

Jenny sounded frustrated. "_Is there ANY way you can meet her this weekend?"_

Tony was glad he had not told her about the lunch he was supposed to have the next day with Jeanne and Mrs. Benoit. That would have led to a conversation about how things had gone south with Leah... about Tony coming clean with his identity because... well... because he loved Leah. He prayed that his failed attempt to patch things up the other day was not about to come up in the conversation. Jenny was already flustered. "I don't think so. It doesn't sound like Leah and Jeanne are... the best of friends right now."

"_Damn it. This is why I told you not to pursue this relationship."_

"With all due respect, ma'am... this was our best bet."

He wasn't surprised when Jenny hung up on him. Tony returned his phone to his pocket and decided to shut it off for the rest of the weekend. He didn't need to be bothered by nosy co-workers and a demanding boss. If they really needed him, they knew where to find him.

Actually... the more he thought about it... the more he wanted to disappear for the weekend. So, he did just that, not bothering to tell anyone that he was going away for the weekend.

* * *

It was McGee's hope that a good, old fashion case would pull Tony from his funk, if anything, it was the hope that it would keep his mind off of his recent break-up. However, the discovery of a body in a ditch along a secluded back road in Maryland had the exact opposite effect… it seemed to make Tony's mood worse.

McGee had tried to stop by Tony's apartment over the weekend, but the lead agent had not been home. His neighbors hadn't seen him. McGee wasn't sure where Tony could have possibly gone for two days, but all attempts to contact him failed. McGee was half expecting him not to show up that Monday morning. Tony had been there, sitting at his desk doing paper work when the rest of the team had arrived. And he was being completely silent about his weekend. He had practically chewed Michelle out for even asking about it…

Ziva slid right next to him then, while McGee was sketching and rocked back on her heels, happily. She had been floating and buzzing around since returning to duty, actually, since it had become obvious that Tony was having relationship troubles. "I finished collecting my witness statements. Tony wants us to go check out the marine's apartment."

"I'm almost done here," McGee said. "Where's Tony?"

"Sulking," Ziva quipped with a smile.

"You're enjoying his break-up a little bit too much," McGee pointed out, finishing up his sketches.

"Oh please, this is not the first time Tony has broken up with a woman," Ziva said. "He is acting like a big baby."

McGee put his sketches into his backpack. He zipped it up and slung it over his shoulder. As they walked towards their car, he eyed her. "Have you ever been in love, Ziva?" he asked, honestly.

Ziva let out a huff of air. "Love? In Mossad there is no time for love and relationships. Why do you ask, McGee?"

He sighed and unlocked the car, opening the driver's side door. "Because," McGee said before climbing in, "if you had ever been in love, Ziva, you'd understand why Tony is acting like a big baby."

* * *

Tony wasn't surprised to find Gibbs' house unlocked. Why would he lock it after all these years? Even if the former marine was thousands of miles away in Mexico...

He stepped into the entranceway and gently shut the door behind him. Tony needed a place that offered comfort. For years that had been Gibbs' basement and if his old boss had been around when everything came unraveled with Leah, Tony would have ended up in the basement. It was probably silly to show up at an empty house and head down to a dark basement to think for a bit. But that's where Tony found himself after sending McGee and Ziva off to check out their victim's apartment.

In the dark he found the light and turned it on. He moved towards the workbench. Gibbs had packed most of his tools up in shipping boxes, addressed to Mike Franks' place, but Tony wasn't looking for tools. He found the glass bottle of bourbon and a mason jar tucked behind the boxes. "Bless you, boss," Tony murmured. "I can always count on you for a drink."

"You wouldn't believe how badly I screwed up this time," Tony said to the musty room while he poured himself a mason jar of bourbon. "Or, maybe you can because… well… it's me. I always seem to screw up."

Tony listened to the sounds of the house for a moment. It's creaks and moans, the silence. If he closed his eyes it would almost be like Gibbs was sitting there. He found a spot on a large turned over paint bucket and sat down. His head leaned back against the cool wall and he sighed. "I really wish you were here, boss. Everything is a mess."

No one answered him, of course, unless you counted the rustling of the bushes outside in the breeze. Tony sipped his drink and kept his head titled back against the wall. He wanted to disappear, _quite and walk away like the boss did. _ Running from his problems … well he was no stranger to that having ran from Philadelphia and Baltimore when things got rough. His track record would suggest that his time at NCIS was up anyways…

Downing the rest of his drink, Tony realized he couldn't hide out in Gibbs' basement forever. He was tired of running. He was a damn good agent and he was not about to let a failed undercover operation, failed relationships with co-workers drive him from his job. Putting the bourbon back where he found it and wiping the mason jar clean, Tony proceeded back up the stairs.

He would like to hide out here all day like Ziva had when the FBI had been looking for her but he had a job to do—a team to lead—a killer to catch. And he was not going to do any of that hanging around in Gibbs' basement.

Shutting the door quietly behind him, Tony headed towards the car. He had just climbed inside the Charger when his cell phone rang. Flipping it open he answered, only to hear nothing on the other side. It was then that he realized it was his undercover phone… _Leah. _

"_Is this a bad time?" _she asked, timidly when he answered the phone.

"No, no of course not," he told her, honestly. "I didn't think… I didn't think you were going to call."

Leah paused for a second, took a deep breath. "_Can you meet me? Today? So we can… talk… in person?"_

Tony felt the first surge of hope at saving this relationship course through him. "Yeah. You just tell me when and where, bella."

She laughed. "_The coffee shop near the museum in an hour?"_

He felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. "I'll be there."

Before she hung up, she sighed, happily, "_Tony, I missed you." _

Tony shut his phone down and started the car up. _I missed you too, Leah. _He pointed the car back in the direction of the city. _And I'm going to make this right so I don't lose you and miss you like this ever again._


	16. Feelings

**Warnings: **None for this chapter.

**A/N: **Happy weekend everyone! After a bout with writer's block, I finally found my muse today (after completely draining and cleaning TWO 10 gallon fish tanks top to bottom). Hope you enjoy the update! Feedback is always appreciated :) Thanks to everyone that has taken the time to read, fave, follow, and especially to those that take the time to leave a review.

* * *

"Do you really think Tony was _in love _with her?" Ziva asked, breaking the silence of their victim's apartment.

"Sure. Why not?" McGee countered, bagging up credit card statements and other bills as evidence.

"Because. It is Tony we are talking about. His idea of commitment is a long weekend. I do not think he is capable of love."

"People change, Ziva, all the time."

Ziva eyed him skeptically. McGee wasn't sure why all of this was so important to her. He never really cared so much about what Tony was doing in his personal time. He would admit he was intrigued by the mystery girlfriend—and he would be lying if he didn't try to piece together her identity with Abby late one night in the lab—but he wasn't obsessing over it like Ziva was.

McGee had decided a long time ago not to get involved in Tony's dating life. The more Ziva pressed him though to talk about this secret relationship Tony was having, the more she was making him break that oath he had made for himself. "Okay," he said, standing up and changing the subject. "I got all the statements and receipts and bills. We have a paper trail now that we can follow. Judging from what I looked at our victim didn't have a lot of money but spent it like he did."

She pointed to a cigarette tray that had discarded butts in it. "One of those has lipstick on it. Perhaps he entertained a woman here the last night he was alive?"

He agreed. They had found evidence of sexual activities in the bedroom in the form of fluids and a thrown away condom in the trash. "Well, if the girlfriend did it… we'll have plenty of DNA to match her with."

"Maybe Toscano had friends that knew her," Ziva offered.

"Guess we should drop off this evidence and then go talk to his unit," McGee replied pulling out his cellphone. He quickly dialed Tony but it went straight to voicemail. "Huh? That's odd. He didn't pick up, my call went to Tony's voicemail."

Ziva scowled. _Just like always when he is with her. _"Whatever. We do not need Tony to go conduct those interviews. We are just as capable as Tony."

McGee followed her out of the apartment, frowning. _Guess Gibbs didn't tell her to let up on Tony any, _he thought, angrily. And he wasn't surprised by that—Ziva and Abby were allowed to get away with a lot more than himself or Tony. "Yeah, we are, but Tony told us to check the apartment out and then report back to NCIS. If we're following a new lead, our job is to report into our leader."

She glared at him as she opened the driver's side door. "Hard to do when he does not answer his cell phone. If his girlfriend is more important than his job… then that is his problem if he is not happy we went ahead without him."

He really frowned now as he got into the car with her and slammed his door shut. Apparently her chat with Director Shepard the other day had not resonated. McGee knew that they were in for a long, long day once Tony found out that Ziva was disregarding his orders once again.

* * *

Tony gently played with the leaves on the bouquet of lilies he had purchased. He stepped into the coffee shop and took his sunglasses off. Almost immediately his eyes were drawn to her, she was sitting at a table in the back, dressed in a sharp business suit and her hair was pulled back into an elegant bun. Need-less to say she looked the part of someone that worked at the Smithsonian.

He carefully strode through the crowd of people towards her table. Tony felt his heart flutter when she looked up at him and they made eye contact. She smiled, slightly when she saw the flowers he'd brought her. "You didn't have to bring me flowers," Leah told him as he sat down.

"But I wanted too, bella," Tony said, laying the flowers down on the table. He reached across and took her hands in his own. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let the lie go on for so long, Leah. I should have told you right away when we realized we wanted something more than a two week fling."

"It's okay, Tony. I had a lot of time to think about it," Leah assured him. She let her eyes drop to gaze at their joined hands. "Yes it hurt that you didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth… and if we want to make this relationship work… we need to be honest with one another. No more lies. And I… I want it to work, Anthony."

Tony, smiling at hearing her use his full name for the first time, brought her hands to his lips as so he could kiss her knuckles. "I want it to work too, Leah."

Leah shifted closer to him and pressed her lips to his in a heated kiss. Tony snaked one hand around the back of her head and pulled her in, deepening the kiss, wanting to spend the rest of the afternoon together… "I have to get back to work," Leah said breaking them apart.

"Can't you call them and tell them you have food poisoning?"

"That would be lying. Thought we said no more lies?"

"Between us, yes. To others, if it means we can be together, no."

She laughed. "I really have to go."

He sighed. "Fine. But just tell me one thing before you leave. What made you change your mind?"

Leah pursed her lips together and ran her fingers over his knuckles. "That awful lunch with Jeanne and her mother yesterday. I… I kept thinking about… how you would have made it… better, more comfortable for me to be there… and I… I just missed you… I realized that… that I have these…feelings for you, Tony."

Tony smiled at her, sadly. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Well, Ms. Dawson, I'm glad that you came to this realization because… I have these feelings for you as well and I would hate for them to go to waste."

"Since we're not wasting them, do you think we could have dinner tonight?"

"I don't see why not."

Leah grabbed her flowers and her purse, gave him one more kiss and left. Tony sat there for a moment feeling relief wash through him. He hadn't screwed up his relationship after all, now he just had to make sure that his true identity didn't come out in conversation with Jeanne. Not that he believed Leah was going to be chatting with her about relationship woes…

His cell phone rang. Tony pulled it out of his pocket and saw Abby's name on the screen. "Yeah, Abs."

"_Where are you? I have something! The DNA is a match!"_

"DNA what DNA?"

"_DNA that Tim and Ziva found at the victim's apartment. The woman that was there… she's wanted for another murder."_

Tony grabbed his coffee and headed out of the coffee shop. "They never told me about a woman being at the apartment, Abs. I have no idea what you're talking about, care to bring me up to speed?"

Abby was silent for a second. "_They didn't call you? I would have thought Tim would have called you…"_

"ABBY!"

"_Sorry! It appears that Toscano was entertaining a lady at his apartment the night before he died. Ziva and Tim are interviewing his unit. They met up with Lee and passed off the evidence for me to process."_

Tony rolled his eyes. Of course. Why would anything have changed? "Thanks, Abs," he told the forensic scientist. "I'll be back at NCIS soon."

Abby wasn't letting him go without answering her questions. "_Where did you go?"_

"Coffee."

"_By yourself?" _

"Abby. Get back to work, please."

"_Fine." _

Tony heard the distinct click of someone hanging up and he shut his phone. He put it back into his pocket and made his way across the street to his car. Before driving away, he leaned back into the seat and let out a heavy sigh. He could really use another drink in Gibbs' basement right about now.

* * *

McGee knew that Tony was pissed. He had tried to warn Ziva…

"You two have fun playing lead agent?" Tony snapped when they appeared in the bullpen.

"If your phone had been on—you would have gotten the chance to play, Tony," Ziva snapped back with a smirk.

Tony stood from his desk. He pulled his suit coat tightly to his chest and strode towards her. "Except, I'm not playing Officer David. I _am _the lead agent. And if I recall, I told you to bring back whatever you found at Toscano's apartment to NCIS when you were done."

Ziva glared at him. "His unit would be the ones that would know if he was seeing someone… they would have had helpful information. We were only doing what any other agent would have done."

"Did they have helpful information?" Tony asked, sternly. When Ziva refused to answer, Tony looked at McGee and repeated, "Did they have helpful information?"

"No," McGee said. "Because they told us you had interviewed them already today."

Tony clenched his jaw. "If you had come back to NCIS, like I asked, you might have been here when I got back and I could have told you that it was a waste of time. You should have brought the DNA evidence to Abby and gone through those statements and bills…"

Ziva rolled her eyes. "That work is so boring. We thought we were doing something more productive. We cannot help it if you did not tell us your plans. Gibbs would have done so. He would not have made us run around looking like idiots."

McGee saw Tony's eyes grow dark. He stepped back a little bit and moved towards his desk. He was not going to get in the way of an angry Tony. "I'll get to work on those statements now, Tony."

"No, Probie, have Ziva do them," Tony ordered. "Why don't you go help Abby?"

"What are you going to do?" Ziva snarled as Michelle placed the evidence onto her desk.

"Me? I'm going to go have a chat with the Director," Tony replied, and with that he disappeared up the steps, well aware that Ziva was throwing daggers his way. "I hope by the time I get back, Officer David... you'll have found something for me!"

McGee waited until he was well out of earshot before turning towards Ziva. "I told you that we should have come back to NCIS first. You already pissed him off last week calling Gibbs to help you... do you want him to force Director Shepard to send you back to Israel?"

Ziva scoffed and sat down at her desk. "Jenny is my friend. If anything she will assign Tony to a new team before sending me home."


	17. Write Up and Dinner Reservations

**Warnings:** No spoilers for this chapter.

**A/N: **Hello everyone! Here is an update for the weekend! Hope you enjoy! **Thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, and reviewed this story. You guys are the best :).**

**Avid reader- **_But that was who Ziva was, always pushing to see how far she could push. It was a character flaw she had. _

* * *

Ziva sat pouting in the front seat of the Charger. Tony hid his smile behind his hand while they staked out a local dive bar for their suspect. Jenny placing a reprimand in her file about going rogue last week meant something… having him do it on the other hand… well… that ticked her off. She wasn't used to being told what to do by people she considered "equals". Hell, she had been a handler in Mossad before she was even twenty-five.

He had sat there, keeping his eyes on the bar. He was quiet, patient, almost as if he was waiting for her to start ranting and raving about the punishment that he had handed down to her earlier that day.

She had been silent the whole time they were parked there, shifting every now and then with a little angry sigh. Finally, after hours of not speaking to him, she snapped, "You did not have to tattle on me to Jenny."

He shrugged and kept his eyes on the pub door. "NCIS protocol is clear—if you disobey orders you are to be written up. Now, if you were a probationary agent… you might not qualify to become a full-fledged agent. Lucky for you… you're not. Although, another strike, Zee-vah, and I'll recommend you go back to Israel."

"Jenny would not…"

"Director Shepard and I agreed on that punishment if you don't follow orders again."

Ziva turned away from him and glared out the window. "I was only trying to help. To do my job. You know, since Gibbs left you have been… what is the word that Abby likes to use… honorary?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "Ornery."

"Yes, that is it."

"Can you blame me? Half the time I feel like I'm trying to keep teenagers in line."

"Seems to me you are trying too hard to be just like Gibbs. You are not him and it would be best if you would stop acting like him."

"Well, we can't all be perfect now can we?"

Ziva let out a little growl of frustration. "You are impossible to have a productive conversation with."

Tony whirled around in the tight space and glared at her, not able to contain his temper any longer. "I'm impossible? Since the moment Gibbs left you have been nothing but a thorn in my side, Ziva! For someone that takes pride in Mossad and following orders… you sure as hell suck at it when I give them!"

She clenched her fists. "Gibbs taught us to always anticipate! That is what I did today! I anticipated that you would want us to check out the unit! What is the big deal? When Gibbs was here and you were senior field agent, you took initiative all the time!"

He took a deep breath in an attempt to contain his anger. "Yes. But there is a chain of command Ziva…"

"So you're saying if McGee had decided we should go…"

"No... I'm saying that when I made the decision to do something... I would have called Gibbs to check-in."

"We did check in with you! When we got back to NCIS! Gibbs... would never have written any of us up for doing our jobs!"

"What more do you want from me Ziva? I wrote Tim up too... do you want me to let my hair get all gray and grow a beard like Gibbs?"

Ziva's lips pulled into a tight line. "Gibbs is coming back."

Tony glared. "You sound like Abby. Hey, if I'm such a terrible leader… you can go. I'm not stopping you."

Before she could counter the door of the bar opened and their suspect came out. Tony took the lead and stepped out of the car. Pulling back his suit coat as he crossed the street to show his badge and gun, he called, "Iris?"

"Yeah, who wants to know?" the tall, slender blonde said, looking up. She saw their badges. "Oh. Swear to God, officer, I wasn't whoring myself out in there this time."

"Not Metro," Tony replied. "NCIS. You're DNA was found underneath the fingernails of our victim."

"That only proves I had sex with him."

"Care to explain why your DNA was found on another victim in Baltimore?"

Iris looked anxiously at the agent before she attempted to run and ran straight into Ziva's fist. Tony would have to attempt that sometimes the Israeli's ability to disappear in plain sight came in handy. He fished out his handcuffs and cuffed Iris. "You're under arrest for murder. Hope being a prostitute pays you enough for a good lawyer… you're going to need it."

* * *

McGee finished his report and signed it. Iris had confessed once her back was against the wall—almost literally because she had infuriated Ziva—but the case was closed and they had the rest of the night to do what they wished. "Hey, anyone up for a drink? My treat."

Michelle shook her head. "Can't. I already have plans," she replied, gathering up her things and running towards the elevator. McGee knew exactly where she was going. Autopsy, to see Jimmy—Ducky had left for the night meaning the two could be alone down there… sooner or later the good doctor was going to find out that his assistant was having an interoffice affair.

"I will take you up on that offer, Tim," Ziva said, slipping into her leather jacket. "Shall we ask Abby?"

"She said she'd meet us there," McGee answered, smiling. Abby had been the first person he had asked knowing that she wouldn't turn him down. He looked at their lead agent. "Tony?"

Tony shook his head as he stood up and shut the light over his desk off. He grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder while gathering up his weapon and badge. "Sorry. Not tonight. I have dinner reservations."

McGee glanced at Ziva for a second and saw her scowl. He had been aware of Tony's mood change ever since coming back from interview Toscano's unit. McGee had figured out quickly where Tony had disappeared to after leaving the crime scene—he'd met up with the girlfriend. Apparently things were back on track. "Next time then," he said with a smile. "Maybe you should bring your girlfriend along so we can meet her."

Ziva snorted, not doing a good job of covering up her jealousy. "We have never met any of Tony's women before… why would he start now?"

"That's because in the past… none of them were that important to me," Tony responded, coolly. He looked at Tim with a smile. "Maybe the next time I will bring her along. Think she'd like you, McGee… she's pretty smart. Going for her PH.D at George Washington."

"You're dating a doctoral candidate?" McGee asked, surprised. It didn't seem like the type of woman Tony would date. "What… what do you two talk about?"

Tony chuckled and headed towards the elevator. "Lots of things, McGeek. She's actually quite surprised by how much film knowledge I have swimming around in my brain. Night my little probies," he said as he climbed into the cab, "See you in the morning. Behave tonight!"

McGee shook his head to clear the cobwebs. _A woman who was smart enough to get a PH.D…_ _who knew? _Tim thought as Abby buzzed into the bullpen, ready to go. He grabbed his gear up and followed the two women into the elevator with a little bit of a relieved smile on his face. It was nice to the old Tony back, the one that wasn't grumpy and yelling at them… the one that was joking with them, leading them with a much gentler hand than Gibbs had done if McGee really thought about it. Change sometimes could be a good thing and the others just had to learn to embrace it.

* * *

"You know, when you said dinner reservations… I didn't think it meant in _my _apartment."

Tony grinned at her. He had spread out a nice tablecloth over her coffee table and laid out take out containers of Italian food from his favorite café. On the center of the table was a fresh arrangement of flowers and candles. He reached for her hand and pulled her down to sit on the floor with him. He kissed her, softly, "This is better than dinner reservations… it's quiet, romantic… just us."

Leah looked at him, coyly. She nestled into the crook of his arm. "I like that it's just us." She turned her blue eyes towards him. "We lost a few days… I want to make up the lost time and you can't do that in a restaurant."

He smiled at her and pulled her closer. "True. To be honest… I'm too exhausted to go out to eat tonight."

She took a deep breath, her eyes searching his for a second. "Is everything in our relationship going to change now?" she asked out of the blue. "Your job…"

"Is demanding," Tony finished for her. He frowned. "I don't want our relationship to change just because of my job, Leah," he whispered, pushing the stray pieces of hair out of her eyes. "I didn't lie to you about how I felt about you… I didn't hide anything but my profession."

"I'm sorry… it's just… it's going to take a while to wrap my brain around it. Now I find myself worrying about you…constantly," Leah confessed. "It's a… it's a dangerous job, Tony, and at any moment something could happen to you."

Tony briefly wondered if that was one the reasons that Wendy spilt all those years ago. She had never given him a reason… but that didn't matter now. Wendy was a thing of the past and he wasn't going to dwell on it. He continued to run his fingers through her hair. "I don't know what to tell you… being an agent… it's a part of who I am… a huge part."

Leah sat up, shooting him a serious look. "Tony! I would never ask you to walk away from you job for me. I wouldn't want you to do that! You're right… being an agent… it… it makes you _you. _I have to get… used too… this, that's all."

He kissed her, almost forgetting for a moment that they hadn't even eaten dinner yet… but when he pulled back he smiled. "We should eat before everything gets cold."

She giggled and handed him a take-out container. Before he could grasp it though, she suddenly pulled back. "You only get this if you're staying tonight…"

"Oh, believe me," Tony said, pressing his lips to hers, "I don't plan on going home."

"Okay, good," Leah said handing him the food. "Because I wasn't planning on letting you leave."

While they ate, Tony thought that this was better than making some fancy dinner reservations. Even Leah loved it—and it had been something so simple and easy. Looking at her smiling face he concluded that he _loved _making her this happy.


	18. Problems

**Warnings: **Slight spoilers for "Escaped"

**A/N: **It's rather short, I know. But I figured short is better than nothing at all! Enjoy!

* * *

Gibbs was back. He knew this because of one of two things. Gibbs' house was on the market and an FBI agent was walking towards him on his off day. Tony could also tell by the apprehensive look on Tobias Fornell's face that his former boss was in town. If anyone knew the rift between Tony and Gibbs it would be Fornell. Sacks wouldn't have kept it quiet that the pair of NCIS agents weren't seeing eye to eye. _Well, the former NCIS agent and the current NCIS agent. _

Tony tightened his hold on Leah's hand for a moment and gave it a squeeze. They had been spending a lovely Sunday morning out and about together. Three weeks since he had revealed everything to her and their relationship was getting stronger. She still worried about him when he was at work and he still hadn't told her everything that was going on behind the scenes with the Frog… but there wasn't a lack of trust anymore. "Toby," the NCIS agent greeted, fondly, "What can I do for you this fine Sunday morning?"

"He's gone crazy, DiNutso," Fornell said, shakily. "Never seen Jethro like this before. Hair all wild and what's with the beard?"

"He's not right in the head, Tobias," Tony countered, truthfully. "He might not want to admit it—that explosion did a number on him. So, he's back in town then?"

Fornell looked guilty for a moment. "Yes. I needed his help on a case."

Tony nodded, gently. "Is this my courtesy call to let me know he's around?" He could easily tell that Fornell was anxous about speaking in front of Leah. Bringing her hand to his lips, he brushed a soft kiss across her knuckles. "Sweetheart, why don't you go wait for me at the car?"

Leah looked at the two men, skeptically, before she quietly let go of Tony's hand and headed towards the parked car that was down the street aways. When she was gone and out of ear shot the FBI agent turned towards Tony. "Does the name Daniel Paulson ring a bell?"

"Sort of. Didn't you and Gibbs put him away for murder?" Tony questioned.

"We did, years ago," Fornell affirmed. "He escaped from prison."

"He did? How do you know?"

"Because, he threatened my daughter this afternoon!"

Tony could suddenly see where all this was going. Fornell had gone to Gibbs for help, and Gibbs had probably turned him down, not wanting to get involved… meaning that Fornell wasn't the one to summon Gibbs back to D.C. _He came back again and didn't bother to tell any of us. _ Still, it didn't stop Tony from asking, "Did you talk to Gibbs?"

Fornell narrowed his eyes in anger at the younger man. "Of course I talked to Gibbs! When is this ridiculous sabbatical he's taken going to end? You know we all make mistakes but most of us don't go stomping off to Mexico like a child having a temper tantrum!"

He let out a slow breath. Tony could understand where Fornell was coming from—he'd felt the same way for a while now about Gibbs leaving. "Listen, Fornell, I'm not sure what you think NCIS can do…" the lead agent said, glancing down the street at Leah leaning against the car. "It's Saturday, you realized this right? Are you sure Paulson is still in the area?"

Glaring at him, Fornell snapped, "He's an escaped prisoner, DiNutso! Where else do you think he's going to go? Yes! He's still in the area!"

"Fine. I'll call my team," Tony sighed. "But you're going to have deal with my girlfriend—I promised her a _whole _weekend."

"She seems harmless enough," Fornell concluded, glancing at the sweet looking young woman.

"You haven't seen her angry."

"Yeah, and you haven't met my ex-wife. I think I can handle your girlfriend."

Tony raised an eyebrow while he dialed up his team—if the FBI agent thought he could handle Leah when she was angry, Tony sure as hell didn't want to meet his ex-wife—ever.

* * *

McGee arrived wearing a light blue tee shirt and jeans, carrying a large bag of take-out food. He had been enjoying a quiet afternoon playing video games when he'd gotten the call to report to the office and to bring food. "I brought lunch," he announced. "Why are we here again?"

Tony handed him an old case file. "Read up on this," he instructed his SFA. "Fornell asked for our help in tracking down an escaped convict."

"Um… this is a case Gibbs worked on. Why didn't Fornell call him?"

"He did. Gibbs turned him down."

The younger agent blinked, slightly in disbelief. Fornell had been one of Gibbs' closest friends, the FBI agent had helped them out a lot in the past—why wouldn't Gibbs return the favor and help Fornell? Something had changed him, something had happened whether it was a result of the explosion or not—but McGee could see that Gibbs' wasn't the same man that both he and Tony had trusted over the years. "What? Why?"

Tony shrugged his shoulders. "Fornell wouldn't say." _But I have my theory and it's name is Jennifer Shepard. _He'd go to Vegas at that very moment and place bets that Gibbs was with Jenny—just because the boss had moved to Mexico didn't mean the friends with benefits relationship he had with Jenny had to stop. "And you know, it's not important. What's important that we get to the bottom of this, help a friend, and put a bad guy back behind bars, okay?"

McGee nodded and took a deep breath. He sat down at his computer and began to pour over the case file, realizing that it was going to be a long weekend… "Hey… didn't you have plans with the new girlfriend this weekend?"

"Duty calls, sometimes when you have plans."

"Yeah, but still… she must have been angry."

"Well… I'll just have to make it up to her. Why the sudden interest in my relationship? You've been awfully quiet through all the gossip going around."

McGee shook his head. "You just seem… different with this one, Tony."

Tony supposed that the younger man was right. He hid behind masks most of the time around McGee, it came as no surprise that his partner was intrigued by his committed relationship. "I guess I really like this one, Tim."

He was still trying to process that when a cell phone beeped. McGee watched as Tony drew it his from his pocket and frowned at it, a worried expression coming across his face for the briefest of seconds. "Something wrong?"

For a second it felt like the team leader hadn't heard what his partner had said, but then Tony blinked away the co-webs and shook his head. "Fine. You keep looking at that file. I need to go call the Director." And Tony was gone, disappearing to a private place to call Jenny, while McGee got lost in an old case file.

* * *

When he sure that he was far enough way from the bullpen, Tony flipped his phone open and dialed Jenny. If figured that this would have to come up in the middle of a case, where his attention _should_ be devoted too…

Tony felt like the walls were closing in on him. His heart was pounding in his chest while he waited impatiently for Jenny to pick up the phone. Now was not the time for her to ignore him, regardless if she was entertaining Gibbs or now. He would just keep calling her until she picked up the phone anyhow. Finally she answered, sounding half annoyed and half post-sex blissful. He quietly said, "We have an issue. Leah texted me… Rene Benoit is in town. She's with him and Jeanne right now. And he's asking about me."


	19. Feeling Threatened

**Warnings: **Spoilers for "Escaped", Season 4 in general

**A/N: **Told you I would be back with a longer chapter :) **Thanks everyone that has taken the time to leave a review, favorite, or follow my story. I love writing for you guys :)**

* * *

Leah glanced anxiously at her watch for probably the one hundredth time since she had run into Jeanne and Rene. She had _never _been comfortable around Rene for as long as she could remember. It wasn't that he was mean to her, rather he was what her mother referred to as a French charmer… but there was something beneath that charm that scared her.

Rene and Jeanne running into her at the local health food store had unnerved her, Jeanne asking her to come have some coffee with them unnerved her more. It was like they were suddenly best friends again now that Leah had gone to that lunch with her and Mrs. Benoit a few weeks ago. Having been brought up to be polite, Leah couldn't think of an excuse to decline and had agreed. But once the questions about Tony started… Leah began to feel increasingly nervous.

She wasn't sure why she had sent Tony the text about Rene's questions… but she wasn't surprised when Tony asked where she was so he could come to her. Leah only had to dodge the questions that Rene was asking until Tony could get there.

"Your parents seemed very pleased with your work," Rene said, stirring his coffee. "Quite fascinating the ancient cultures of our world, aren't they?"

"They are fascinating, but I'm not studying archeology just because it fascinates me—I want to preserve history," Leah responded, calmly, with another quick glance at her watch. _Tony, where are you? _

"Are we keeping you from something?" Jeanne asked, noticing her constantly checking her watch.

Leah shook her head. "No. I didn't have any plans today. Tony… he had to work."

Jeanne frowned, a slight puzzled expression on her face. "On a Sunday?"

Rene's eyes shifted between his daughter and Leah. "Oh, I am sure that Tony's work is very important that he could not be here, Jeanne. You did say he worked for the United States government, right Leah?"

She paused. Instantly warning bells went off. She had said _nothing _to Rene or Jeanne about Tony's line of work. How did Rene know he worked for the government? Slowly she licked her lips and shook her head. "No. He's a professor of Film Studies at American University."

"Oh. That is right! My bad! You will have to forgive me, Leah. The mind slips in old age," Rene said with a sly smile.

"Easy mistake," Leah quipped hearing the door to the coffee shop open. She was relieved to see Tony enter the coffee shop.

Tony made his way through the shop towards the table. Leah immediately noticed he had discarded his badge and weapon. Meaning he wanted to maintain some kind of cover… "Hi, bella, sorry I'm late. Stack of papers about a mile high to grade."

Leah smiled, anxiously at him as he leaned down and kissed her cheek. "It's okay. I was just having coffee with Jeanne and her father." She watched in slight awe as Tony casually introduced himself and sat down next to her. Didn't this entire situation unnerve him like it was unnerving her? _Of course not! He's the federal agent not you! _"We were just talking about your work at the university."

She couldn't be certain but she thought she saw some relief wash through his countenance. Tony grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "My work isn't as interesting or as culture preserving as yours is, Leah."

"None sense, Professor," Rene cut in, with a wave of his hand. "There are many, many classic films that preserve our culture that children these days do not know about."

"Please… call me Tony. My students call me _professor," _Tony joked. He reached under the table and found Leah's hand giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Mr. Benoit was asking about where you grew up," Leah said. "He was quite interested about New York."

Tony eyed the target of his undercover operation, cautiously. He didn't feel threatened here in this little shop. Rene wouldn't do anything to Tony in broad daylight and in public. He was, however, concerned that somehow Leah had ended up in the middle of all this. "New York held a lot of painful memories."

Rene raised his eyebrows in understanding. "We all carry scars from our youth."

Jeanne's beeper went off and she groaned. "Sorry. That's the hospital. We should get going Papa."

Leah and Tony watched as the other pair at the table got up, said their good-byes and left. When they were gone Tony let go of her hand and pulled her in for a soft kiss. She took a shuddering breath and blurted, "Why did you maintain a cover around Rene?"

"Why did you lie to him about my job?" Tony threw back at her, gently.

"It just… something didn't feel right. He asked about your work in the government. I never told Jeanne that or my parents. How would he know?"

"He knew I worked for the government?"

"Felt that way."

Tony's jaw tightened. Had his cover been blown before he even got in? Something in his gut was telling him this. "Leah. If Jeanne or Rene ask about me again, let me know. And just keep telling them that I work for American University okay?"

Leah could sense his apprehension. "And that your name is Tony DiNardo? Not Anthony DiNozzo?"

He nodded. "You're getting the idea."

She sighed and leaned in closer to him. "I won't ask… but I wish you'd tell me what's going on."

Tony kissed her temple wishing that he could tell what was really going on as well, but feeling an uncontrollable urge to keep her safe course through his veins. The less Leah knew about the whole situation—the safer she was going to be.

* * *

"Hey! Tony!" McGee said excitedly when he saw the lead agent step off the elevator. after disappearing for a couple of hours. "We think we've tracked down Paulson. There was only one person who contacted him while he was in prison. It makes sense that he went there after he escaped."

"Great. I'll be with you in a moment," Tony said, his green eyes sweeping up the stairs towards the Director's office. "I need to speak to Director Shepard first. Shouldn't be more than ten minutes."

Fornell stepped into his path. "We don't have ten minutes, DiNutso. Paulson could be gone by then. Whatever you have to say to Jenny—call her!"

Tony growled underneath his breath. No wonder Gibbs drank so much coffee when the FBI agent showed up. "Fornell, listen, I want to catch Paulson and put him back in jail just as much as you do—but what I have to discuss with Jenny can't wait." He pushed past the agent and sprinted up the stairs.

"You know he's up there right?" Fornell called to him, referring to Gibbs of course. Tony stopped for a second but didn't turn around. "Came in about fifteen minutes ago with her."

"Are you worried that I can't handle him?" Tony asked, turning to look at Fornell. He saw McGee twitch a little with nerves, Ziva barely flinched and Michelle, well, she always had a but of a frightened expression on her face. "I worked with him long enough, Tobias. I know how to handle him."

Fornell wouldn't argue with that but both men knew that Gibbs was different now. It was like the pain of having to relive the deaths of his wife and child had broken him. "He's not the same, Tony."

Tony scowled before continuing up the stairs. If there was anyone that knew Gibbs was not the same—it was Tony. As he crossed the room upstairs, he could have sworn he heard one of his agents—McGee perhaps—blurt, "Well, that went well."

* * *

Jenny was expecting Tony to show up in her office eventually that afternoon. The moment he had called and informed her that Benoit was in town and was with his girlfriend, she knew that this confrontation was coming. She was fully prepared for it, even with the angry look in the agent's eyes. "Special Agent DiNozzo can I help you?"

Tony shifted on his feet, tossed a glare at Gibbs. "McGee located Paulson. Fornell is itching to go—maybe you can go help them?"

Gibbs instantly could see that wasn't what Tony wanted to talk to Jenny about. Something else was going on. He felt a wave of guilt wash over him looking at Tony, once again. The impasse between them could take years to fix… that is if Tony was willing to try and fix it. "Jenny just reinstated me."

"So you're coming back then?" Tony asked, almost in relief that he would be rid of this job. "Finally. Tobias wondered when this silly Mexican safari was going to end."

"It's temporary, Tony," Gibbs said.

Tony's green eyes filled with more anger and disappointment. "What's the point of coming back then at all? _My _team is perfectly capable of helping Fornell out, we don't need you if you don't really want to be here."

Gibbs scowled, slightly at the NCIS agent. "I thought I could be of some help."

"Oh, like the last time?" Tony snapped.

"Jethro… why don't you go downstairs and let everyone know that you're available to help them?" Jenny suggested, seeing the violent collision course the two men were on in her office.

"Don't keep him too long, Jen," Gibbs snapped as he opened the door to leave. "Tobias asked for his help, too. You want to keep those connections with sister agencies tidy."

Tony waited until the door was slammed shut before he turned towards her. "My cover has been compromised," he stated, simply. "If you keep me on this case… you're not only endangering my life… you're endangering Leah's as well."

Jenny crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you absolutely sure your cover has been compromised? You didn't make the mistake of telling Leah who you really were did you? If we halt this operation now who knows when we'll have another chance."

He glared at her, his jaw tight. "No… I didn't tell her my real identity," he lied, eyes dark. It was obvious that he was feeling threatened—by her, by the Frog—Tony wouldn't be up in her office asking out of an undercover operation if he wasn't. "But when I met them… things didn't feel right, Jenny. I'm just saying that we need to look at other options before someone gets hurt."

She shook her head. "I'm not about to waste _years _of work just because you think things are off. I need substantial evidence that your cover was compromised before I yank this operation."

"Then I hope for your sake, Director, that this whole thing doesn't end in blood shed… because it will be a hell of a mess to clean up," Tony snapped before he crossed the office, threw the door open and stormed out.

* * *

_So, question: should Tony stay with NCIS or move on? I've been debating this certain plot point for a while in my head... wanted your feedback!_


	20. Attention

**Warnings: **Spoilers for "Escaped", Spoilers for Season 4

**A/N: **Thank you everyone for your feedback regarding if Tony should leave or not. Sometimes, when debating a direction a story should go, it's best to ask the readers for some help :). Enjoy this next update!

**Guest- **_Thank you. Glad you are enjoying the story. Tony is going to move on, now I just have to decide to where :)_

**Rcepups- **_Thank you! Tony is definitely leaving (not the Rota story we talked about though!) His main concern, as you'll see at the end of this chapter is Leah's safety. As for Gibbs... read on to see what happens :)_

**Siobhan-** _Thank you for the feedback! I'm definitely leaning towards Tony moving on._

**snoopmary- **_The FBI is on my list of possible places that Tony could land. Jenny clearly murdered the Frog, clearly! And Gibbs covered it up for her, with the FBI and Fornell willingly taking his word. I would like to think the Fornell was smarter than he was portrayed as believing it was Kort that took Rene out to move the CIA's operation forward. If the Frog was working with them... why have Kort kill him? And I've gone off on a tangent lol. Getting back on track, Gibbs and NCIS will dealing with the fallout and I'm debating Tony taking Tim with him, or Tim leaving as well._

**Guest-** _I think you were in head my head while I wrote this chapter! I have totally have Gibbs starting to wise up to what is going on with Jenny, with Tony, and wanting to help Tony._

* * *

Gibbs found Tony on the National Mall, in the same exact spot they had met weeks ago. The younger man was hunched against the marble rail, his brow furrowed in deep thought. It didn't surprise the former marine that the agent had not come back after speaking with Jenny. There had been something in Tony's eyes that had shaken something in Gibbs' gut…

Tony sensed his approach and chuckled. "Took you awhile, Gibbs. Surprised you weren't here about an hour ago." He turned slightly to look at his visitor. "Did Jenny send you to drag me back or something?"

He shook his head. "No. Jenny doesn't even know I'm here. Tobias, McGee and Ziva are tracking down the person we think Paulson is going after," Gibbs replied going to stand next to the young man near the rail. "But something's up with you, DiNozzo."

"I'm fine, Gibbs," Tony said, a little too casually. "Just happy that your silly retirement thing is over. Now you can take the team back and everyone will be happy."

"Is that what you want?"

"Who cares what I want?"

"I do, Tony."

Tony laughed, angrily. "Really? Doesn't feel like it Gibbs. Ever since you left… it hasn't felt like anyone really cares what I want. In fact, after my conversation with Director Shepard today… I feel like I'm alone on an island."

Gibbs could see the hurt and anger in the younger man's eyes and instantly he hated himself for ever doubting Tony in the first place. If he had just come back the last time and listened to his senior field agent then maybe things would be different. "I should have stood up for you more. I should have spoken to Abby and Ziva and told them to lay off of you. It's clear that you're doing the best that you can… and it was my decision to leave and force the team upon you."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Tony straightened his shoulders and turned away, briefly. "I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful, Gibbs. I'm not. You taught me everything that I needed to know about being an agent, you gave me a place to feel like I belonged after that disaster in Baltimore… but the way you left… it reminded me too much of my father and I vowed to myself a long time ago that I wasn't going to let someone else treat me like that and just forgive them."

For a moment Gibbs wasn't sure what to say. Tony very rarely offered up any information about his past and when he did… it wasn't pleasant. The young man had latched onto Gibbs, they had formed a bond when it was just the two of them, and for the most part that bond had survived some horrific things. Gibbs could see that his decision to leave, to abandon Tony… because that was how Tony was going to look at no matter how illogical anyone told him it was… like his father, Gibbs had walked away from him. "I'm sorry, Anthony."

"What?" Tony asked, blinking in confusion. "Did you…just apologize to me?"

"I did. Sometimes… breaking the rules is just necessary," Gibbs replied, gently. "Sometimes, it's not a sign of weakness if you say _sorry. _Especially when you screwed up."

"Boss… you didn't screw up. You just… needed time to get back on your feet. Trust me… I know."

"Tony, I did screw up when I wasn't there to support you when you called and needed me."

Breezes picked up and rustled the dying leaves in nearby tress, swirling a few of the already fallen ones in the air. Tony searched Gibbs' face for a moment, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. His former boss, his tough as nails former boss was seeking forgiveness. It was surreal. "Why the change of heart? A few weeks ago you basically said I had caved to the man and that I wasn't the agent you trained or remembered."

Gibbs took a deep breath. "Today. In Jenny's office. I saw a man that was ready to stand his ground. I saw the man that I hired from Baltimore in there today, Tony, the one with the fire in his eyes, the one that wasn't afraid to speak his mind."

Tony looked away. "To be honest, Gibbs. I haven't felt like that man in a while. Feel like I'm being pushed and pulled in a hundred different directions."

_Damn it, Jenny, what have you gotten him into? _Gibbs could see the turmoil within Tony just by looking at him. "Are you in trouble, Tony? Jenny got you working something other than the cases she hands you?"

"Right now I'm not at liberty to say."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means I can't say a word, Gibbs."

Gibbs wanted to argue, wanted to push, but Tony's cell phone rang. Judging by the look on Tony's face, he knew that the younger man had to take it. He nodded in understanding watched as Tony walked away, flipping the phone open to answer as he went.

He knew that things weren't perfect between them but it felt like Tony was torn between keeping whatever it was he was working on for Jenny a secret and coming clean about it all with Gibbs. The walls that Gibbs had so carefully torn down over the years had been rebuilt and they had been rebuilt even higher. He wondered if this time he was going to be able to break them down, to regain their friendship—Tony's trust.

Tony may have been loud and in your face at times in the bullpen about his personal life, but in reality he was incredibly guarded, private. It wasn't easy to crack his shell. Kate had just begun to understand that when she had died… McGee and Ziva still had a ways to go, Gibbs realized.

"Need to go," the young man stated after he took his phone call. "Good luck catching Paulson."

"DiNozzo… we need you, Fornell asked you for your help too," Gibbs pointed out.

"Sorry, Gibbs… there's something… there's something else that I need to take care of," Tony answered, tightly before he walked away towards his car.

Gibbs watched him drive away. If his gut was right, and his senior field agent was tangled up in something for Jenny… it wasn't going to end well for the Director if anything happened to Tony.

* * *

McGee was startled when Gibbs pulled him into the elevator and engaged the emergency switch. "Am I in trouble?" he asked, timidly. He didn't think he had done anything to warrant a trip to the former marine's _office. _

Gibbs narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Director Shepard asked you to do anything for her? Anything that she wanted you to keep a secret from Tony and the rets of the team?"

He gulped and felt the color draining from his face. He knew doing that background check was going to come back and haunt him. "Yes… a few months ago she asked me to run a background check for her," McGee stammered. "I figured it was for… for another case that another team was working on."

"Who did she want the background information on?"

"A woman—Leah Dawson."

"Tell me about her."

McGee licked his lips, torn between following Jenny's orders and spilling it all to Gibbs. Something had to be up if Gibbs was asking, maybe it even had to do with Tony disappearing for the rest of the day. "She's a historian at the Smithsonian. Twenty-six, single, graduated from Harvard University with her Bachelor's degree in History, went on to get her Master's at George Washington University in archeology and is currently still there getting her PH.D in the same field." _Oh my God! Tony's doctoral candidate! She's the mystery girlfriend!_

Gibbs nodded, taking all the information in, processing it. He still wasn't sure where this woman fit into the puzzle. It didn't sound she was someone that NCIS would be investigating, let alone having the Director look into her. "Where did she grow up? Family? Friends?"

Blinking back the astonishment in his realization, McGee rattled off, "She grew up in Boston. Her mother is the heiress of a shipping company and her father a lawyer. He's also a candidate to become a judge for the state of Massachusetts."

"Does she have _any _connections to NCIS? Any of the cases that NCIS has been working?"

"Not that I found… but um… Gibbs… she's… she's… I think she's Tony's girlfriend."

Well, that was a new development. Why was Jenny looking into the background of Tony's girlfriend? Gibbs knew that it wasn't because she cared about the agent's safety. That had ben painfully obvious to Gibbs in that brief glimpse into what was going on between Jenny and Tony he'd gotten in the office. "What would Jenny's interest be in her?"

McGee shook his head. "I don't know. I do know that she was furious when Tony met up with Leah in Berlin. He was there at a conference… well… we think he was there at a conference. Do you think… do you think Tony's been working undercover this whole time?"

Gibbs was beginning to think that was a high probability that Tony was working undercover. And it was becoming apparent that Jenny had left him without back-up in this whole thing, and for that he wanted to strangle her. "Track Leah Dawson down, McGee. Do it discreetly. I don't want Jenny to know we're looking for her."

"Sure thing, Gibbs. What about Paulson?"

"Ziva and Fornell are looking for Nash. Once they find Nash they'll probably find Paulson." _He's the least of my concerns right now. _

Right now, Gibbs had to focus on Tony and making sure that the agent wasn't caught in the cross fire of whatever game Jenny was playing.

* * *

There was very little sunlight in this restaurant. Tony noticed it the moment he walked in. The smell of smoke lingered in the air from fancy European cigarettes and Cuban cigars. He let his eyes adjust to the dim light before he moved through the tiny space. Coming to a stop at a tiny table in the back corner of the room, he hissed, "You have my attention. Talk."

Rene Benoit looked up from his cigar and grinned. "Special Agent DiNozzo… please have a seat. Do you like Cuban cigars? I have an extra one if you are interested."

Tony clenched his fists as he sat down. "The only thing I'm interested in… is keeping Leah safe. I have to wonder… how would her parents feel if they knew that their _friend _had threatened their daughter?"

"Only to get you here, Agent DiNozzo," Rene continued. "Unless of course you do not cooperate with me."

"I already told you—you have my attention. What do you want?" Tony snapped.

Rene put his cigar out in the ashtray on his table and drew his hands in closer to his chest, folding them there. "I am curious as to why NCIS is investigating me. As far as I know… none of my dealings have been with members of your military."

Tony didn't miss a beat. "By selling weapons of mass destruction… you're involved with my military if you like it or not. You give those weapons to people that want to terrorize my nation, threaten my way of life. You shouldn't be surprised that you're being investigated."

He chuckled and poured himself a glass of cognac. Rene offered a glass to Tony as well, but the NCIS agent turned it down. "It shows you how little that you know, Agent DiNozzo, about my dealings. Perhaps, your director should have checked with the CIA before pursuing an investigation of myself."

"CIA?" Tony repeated. "What are you talking about?"

"How else do you think I knew your identity?" Rene asked, raising an eyebrow.

_Of course, _Tony thought, angrily. "You're an informant for them."

Rene nodded and sipped his drink. "It keeps me out of prison."

Tony rang his tongue over his lips. "And you want NCIS to back off?"

"Having a federal agent sniffing around, dating a daughter of one of my known employees… my lawyer… it does not bode well for me. You understand, do you not?"

"Guess I do but I can't say the same for my director."

Rene's smile left his face and his eyes narrowed. "For your safety and that of Leah's… I suggest that you _make _her understand, Agent DiNozzo. Or I cannot be held responsible for what happens to either one of you."

* * *

_Now, that I've made the decision (Tony is going to leave), where the heck does he go? LOL_


	21. Rage

**Warnings:** Slight spoilers for Season 4, not Jenny friendly

**A/N: **Here is the next chapter. I still haven't figured out where exactly Tony is going to go, but all your feedback has been wonderful in helping me sort a few things out, so thank you!

**snoopmary-** _Rene is deliciously evil, isn't he? I agree that Tony would make a great analyst, but I don't think he would enjoy it. To me, he's more of a hands on, action type of person and I think he would get bored rather quickly. I have three different scenarios in my head right now of how this plays out: to keep Tony quiet about Jenny violating who knows how many policies and laws, after she has been ousted from office Vance offers him a promotion and his own team, he moves to the FBI to head his own unit (team) or he goes to work for Tom Morrow, which after doing some research Tony could either be in the investigations branch (ICE) or the Secret Service. _

**Guest- **_Thank you for the feedback. Homeland is definitely one of the options I'm toying with._

**mandy153-** _Tony and Leah getting married is definitely a possibility (I've already done it in another verse). Thanks for the feedback! I'm happy you are enjoying the story :)_

* * *

Across the campus of George Washington University a bell rang out, signaling the hour.

Leah stepped out of the library after studying for a few hours, clutching books and carrying a backpack on one shoulder. She thought about going to grab a cup of coffee at the nearby cart but then decided she just wanted to go home. After the day she had, she thought it was best to just go home. She headed for the Metro station, nearly colliding with a man wearing a loose button down shirt and jeans. "I'm sorry, sir," she mumbled before going on her way.

He stepped in front of her again. "Miss Dawson?"

She looked up and saw his face, white hair long and messy, beard covering his face. "Yes. Can I… can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Tony DiNozzo…"

"Do you work for Rene?"

"No. I'm an old friend."

Leah glared at him slightly. "How did I know that?"

He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Fair question. I guess there really is no way for you to know. Have you seen Tony today?"

"Earlier. We had coffee. Can I go now?" Leah snapped, wanting to get away from him.

"Sure," he said, stepping aside.

Walking away, towards the Metro station she realized that he was watching her. Leah thought about calling Tony, to let him know that someone else was looking for him… _No it's just a coincidence, _she told herself. Little did she know that the man she had just left did not believe in coincidences.

* * *

One in the morning had never looked so good than when Tony unlocked the door to his apartment and stepped inside. Quietly closing the door—he didn't want to wake his neighbors after all—Tony locked up for the night and went to put his backpack down.

It had been a long Sunday, now Monday. Tony had tried to track the CIA agent down that had coughed up the information to Rene Benoit who he was. But, being the CIA they weren't necessarily cooperative and they told him they'd take care of it. Meanwhile, Tony was going to be sleeping with his gun that night. If there was one thing that Gibbs had taught him over the years it was to never trust the CIA.

_What a mess, _Tony thought, rubbing his tired face with his hands. Jenny had been right about one thing—he might not like where this was going to lead. If for one second he had known that it was going to lead to endangering Leah… he would have demanded that Jenny take him off the assignment immediately. _What's done is done. _His objective now was to make sure that Leah was safe, even if it meant putting her life above his own. And that started with marching into NCIS the following morning and telling Jenny that they had to back off, that the life of a civilian was now at stake…

He reached for his laptop and started it up. Even though it was late and he should be getting some much needed sleep, there was something that had to be done. He needed to understand Jenny Shepard's pathological need to see the arms' dealer taken down. Jenny's personal file had just popped up on his screen when someone knocked at his door.

Tony was weary with a visitor arriving at one in the morning and reached for his weapon. The gun firmly placed in his hand he went to answer it. But it wasn't anyone threatening at all—it was Leah, wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and a navy blue hoodie.

"I…I couldn't sleep," she confessed, sheepishly.

"Did you walk here by yourself?" he asked. "Leah that's dangerous."

"Stop being so overprotective," Leah argued, and then glanced away. "I took a cab, okay?"

Tony put his weapon back into its holster and reached for her, pulling her into the apartment with him. He shut the door and latched the locks before he picked her up and carried her to his bedroom. Gently he laid her down on his bed, crawled in next to her, and wrapped her safely in his embrace. "What about now?"

Leah snuggled against him, her eyes sleepily starting to close. "What do you mean?"

He kissed her nose. "Can you sleep now?"

She smiled, lightly and drifted off. "Yes."

Tony watched as she fell asleep, as a peaceful, content look came over her face. He held her for a little while, to make sure she was sleeping, before he got out of the bed and went back to the living room to complete his work. Leah's safety was his top priority now and in order to keep her safe he needed to learn the complicated history between Jenny, Benoit and Jasper Shepard.

* * *

Abby had just fired up her babies when Tony showed up in her lab. She instantly latched onto him, squeezing him tightly. "Don't just disappear like that again! You had us all so worried when you stormed out of Director Shepard's office!"

Tony sighed, feeling bad that he hadn't bothered to call anyone on the team to let them know he really was okay. But he'd been of a one-track mind since Leah's life had been threatened. "Sorry, Abs," he whispered. "I need you to help me with something."

"Sure. What is it?" Abby asked, pulling back to look at him seriously. "Is everything okay?"

"Not sure yet. I need information on Jasper Shepard," Tony replied, in a hushed tone.

"Director Shepard's father? Hasn't he been dead for years?"

"Twelve to be exact. I need to know how he died. His Naval records just say that he passed twelve years ago."

Abby set her jaw and gave him a determined look. "I'll do my best detective work, Tony."

Tony smiled, sleepily at her. "Thanks, Abs. I knew I could count on you." He turned to go and then realized something. "Hey… your photographs of Gibbs are gone." _Guess that means… _"He decided to stay, huh?"

"It had nothing to do with your job performance, Tony!" Abby blurted, biting down on her lower lip. "You… you did the best you could! He knows that! And I bet… I bet Director Shepard knows that! You're a great agent but our team… it just wasn't whole without Gibbs."

"Abs, it's fine. Really. I've made my peace with it, getting there making my peace with Gibbs. But this team… this team has always been _his. _Even when he isn't around," Tony said with a shrug. "Who knows, maybe this will lead to something else for me."

She started to say something, but Tony didn't give her a chance. He asked her to find out what she could about Jasper Shepard and went upstairs. Ziva and McGee were not present in the bullpen, possibly sent off on a case while he was sneaking around behind everyone's back to dig up dirt on their boss—_nice guy you are DiNozzo. _ He noticed a box of his things neatly placed on his old desk and Gibbs was seated at what no one referred to as _Tony's desk _while the former marine was away.

Tony licked his lips and stepped into the bullpen, passed Gibbs. "Hey, boss," he said, casually. He was a bit startled when Gibbs looked up, still sporting the longer hair, but he'd trimmed his beard into a mustache. It just wasn't Gibbs… "Welcome back."

Gibbs looked up from his paperwork, brow furrowed. He saw the dark circles underneath Tony's eyes and he had seen the skittish look in Leah's yesterday when he had tracked her down on campus. Something was going on and he just wasn't sure what yet. "McGee wanted me to tell you that he was careful with your things when he moved them."

"Probie, always looking out for me. You know… he really isn't a probie anymore boss," Tony pointed out. "Think the team really could use a new one."

"You had one—Lee," Gibbs said. "What was wrong with her?"

"She's a lawyer," Tony replied, shrugging.

"Boss… we got coffee," McGee announced, arriving in the bullpen, Ziva behind him carrying a bag of bagels. "Oh, Tony!" he gasped, realizing that he didn't have coffee for him. "I… I didn't know you were going to be here today!"

Gibbs got up from his seat and plucked his coffee out of the tray. He handed it to Tony. "He can have mine."

Tony made a little bit of a face. Gibbs liked his coffee black. But the boss was being nice to him, trying to mend fences so… maybe he would just have to suck it up. Suddenly a couple of packets of sugar and a creamer landed on his desk. "Oh… thanks boss."

McGee put the bag of bagels onto Tony's desk. "We did get extra bagels. Just… just incase you did show up."

Ziva eyed him, suspiciously. "Where were you yesterday?" she asked.

"Had something to take care of," Tony answered honestly. She looked like she was about to pursue it more when Gibbs shot her a look. _Well, I did miss that… _

Gibbs was satisfied that McGee and Ziva were done asking questions and he set them to work on a stack of cold cases. If they started to complain about it, well, he'd make sure that they were aware that there were other agencies out there or that he could send one of them back to Israel.

Everything had settled in the bullpen, the team was eating bagels and drinking coffee and quietly working on cold cases when Jenny appeared. Gibbs saw her first, the fire in her eyes, the glare that landed directly on Tony. He started to stand as she started to rip into the senior field agent, "Special Agent DiNozzo, I just had an interesting meeting with the CIA. Did you go to them with _classified _information?"

Tony swallowed, looking briefly at his partners and then Gibbs. The former marine grabbed her by the arm and reigned in her in, whispering in her ear, "Jen, maybe you should do this in your office?"

Jenny yanked her arm away and stormed up stairs. Tony, knowing that this was coming since yesterday got to his feet and started to follow her. "DiNozzo," Gibbs said, "you don't have to do this alone."

"No worries, boss," Tony assured him, "I can handle her."

* * *

He had seen her mad before. Tony was very much aware of her temper and when he stepped into her office, quietly closing the door behind him, he knew that he was in for the full wrath of it.

Jenny had her jaw clenched so tightly Tony thought it could snap at any moment. "I gave you clear instructions that no one—_no one—_was to know about your operation! How the hell did the CIA find out? And how the hell did they know _who _you were seeing!"

Tony leaned against the door. "Benoit is working for the CIA, Jenny. He confronted me yesterday. He knows. He knows my real identity. The CIA has someone on the inside, working with him that gave him the information. I went to the CIA yesterday to find out who that officer was. The game is up, Director. We have to pull out or people are going to get hurt. Is that what you want?"

"Cooperate with the CIA! Get them to turn Benoit over to us when they're done with him!" Jenny shouted.

"Using what as a bargaining chip?" Tony countered. "We have nothing that the CIA wants."

"You're smart! Think of something!"

"It doesn't work that way, Director."

Jenny's eyes became like daggers. He had seen a look like that once before—Gibbs hunting Ari. Tony suddenly realized how much trouble he was in, how much trouble he had gotten Leah in. She moved towards him, clenching her fists. "You find a way to fix this, Special Agent DiNozzo. That man is a murderer and deserves to rot in jail. And I will do everything in my power to make sure he gets there!"


	22. Captain Ahab

**Warnings:** Spoilers for Season 4, some violence, Tony whump

**A/N: **This chapter time jumps a bit, around the time of "Twisted Sister" and "Smoked" in the NCIS timeline. I figured that most of the stand alone cases had nothing to do with this story, so some of them might get a mention here and there. But other than that, here on out focuses on the Frog arc. Don't worry, we'll time jump some more so it doesn't drag out lol. Until then enjoy! Feedback is always appreciated ;)

**Guest- **_Thank you for you thoughtful review :). One of the possible endings of this story is Tony remaining with NCIS, promotion given to him by Vance. And I think he's weary of talking to Gibbs about all this because of Gibbs relationship with Jenny, not just Gibbs tendency to show empathy towards the revenge driven._

* * *

Philip Davenport sat regally in Jenny Shepard's office one late fall morning, weeks after Gibbs had returned to the agency, not looking pleased. "Special Agent DiNozzo performed well in Gibbs' absence… tell me again, Jenny, why he hasn't been given his own team yet?"

Jenny's brow furrowed. She had been ready for Davenport's questions about how she assigned her agents, but she thought he would have been asking about his niece, not Tony. "I believe that NCIS is best served with him here in Washington."

"NCIS is best served or you Jenny?"

"Pardon?"

"CIA recently made me aware of your little operation to bring in Rene Benoit. You've made them a little nervous and it's quite ambitious of you, Jenny."

"That operation has been strictly between me and Agent DiNozzo," Jenny snapped, visibly bristling. "I do not know how the CIA knows about it, but I can assure you that it was not Agent DiNozzo or myself that told them."

Davenport waved her off, not concerned with the CIA or her operation really. When DiNozzo started to become a problem for the CIA, he would be here reining Jenny in. For now… he was simply curious why Jenny had not given DiNozzo the promotion to Rota like it had been recommended. "Is that why you didn't give Tony the Rota position?"

Jenny bristled again, trying to cover up her lie that spilt forward. "Agent DiNozzo did not want the Rota position. He's concerned for Agent Gibbs, quite frankly I am too, and of all the agents on that team—Tony is the one that knows Agent Gibbs' the best."

He laughed and pulled out an unlit cigar from his suit coat pocket. "Jenny, that boy didn't stay because of Gibbs. He stayed because of the girl."

She clenched her jaw. Leah Dawson was still a sore spot for her. This operation would be going better if Tony had not gotten involved with her. "There maybe some level of truth to that," Jenny admitted. "But he turned the position down… what else was I supposed to do?"

"It did not occur to you to find him a position closer to home?"

"No. There were none."

"Keeping him here, under your thumb—had nothing to do with the Benoit operation?"

"No. I could have found another agent willing to work on it."

"Jenny, you're getting in way over your head. Rene Benoit is smart, dangerous… he'll make Tony sooner or later—if he hasn't already. CIA already made him."

"Mr. Secretary… I assure you that this agency is doing everything in its power to make sure that Agent DiNozzo is not compromised."

Davenport sniffed his cigar before putting it back into his pocket. "Does Agent Gibbs know you're using his agent like this? He has a reputation for wanting complete control over his team. I highly doubt this is going to go over well with him."

Jenny straightened her shoulders. "Agent DiNozzo is my agent, under my orders, sir. It's something that does not concern Agent Gibbs. Are you worried that I cannot handle my own agents, Mr. Secretary?"

"_Director Shepard," _Cynthia's voice came over the intercom, "_Your next appointment is here." _

"Give me a moment, Cynthia," Jenny replied, sweetly.

"_Of course, Director." _

Davenport rose to his feet and straightened his coat. "I hope I don't have to tell you this more than once, Jenny. Do us all a favor—drop the La Grenouille operation."

Jenny licked her lips, thoughtfully looking at him. "Hypothetically speaking, if I do not stop the operation…"

"Oh," Davenport said as he reached for the door to leave, "then you can kiss your career at NCIS good-bye. Now, tell me, Jenny, is any arms' dealer worth losing your job over?"

He didn't let her answer, tipped his head and left the office. Jenny sat there seething. She had no intention of halting the operation. She was just going to have to go about bringing the Frog down much more discreetly.

* * *

Tony had managed to keep his nose clean for the last few weeks. No more sightings of Rene Benoit, the CIA and—thank God—Gibbs' mustache. It was all lulling him into a false sense of security. Until Abby showed up at his desk, when no one else was around and dropped a file on top of his case report pile. "What's this?" he asked, looking up at her.

Abby chewed on her lower lip, nervously. She glanced up towards the Director's office. "Jasper Shepard's Navy file. Turns out, he committed suicide after he was found out for taking a bribe from an arms dealer."

_Rene Benoit, _Tony thought, flipping the file open. No wonder Jenny had turned into Captain Ahab. He slammed the file shut. "This stays between us, Abs. Got it?" he questioned her, knowing that she hated to keep anything from Gibbs. "Please, Abby?"

"Fine. It stays between us," Abby promised before disappearing back to her lab.

Tony opened the bottom drawer on his desk, the one where he kept the lock box of Gibbs' medals, and tossed the file inside. He locked the drawer up and went back to his case reports like nothing had happened. Now that he had the information he wasn't sure what the hell he was going to do with it. He was torn about keeping it to himself and bringing it up to Gibbs.

Jenny and Gibbs relationship was a complicated one. Sometimes, Tony didn't know where he stood when it came to the boss. There were times that he felt like he was just as important to Gibbs as Jenny was… and others… well not so much. He could see Gibbs reaction going either way.

Sighing, Tony rubbed the headache forming in his temple away. As long as he and Leah stayed far away from the Benoits everything was going to be fine…

"Agent DiNozzo."

_Or not, _Tony mused as he looked up to see Jenny standing before him. She placed someone on his desk. "This is a warrant do some undercover work at the airport. La Grenouille's people are coming in today on a private plane. I need you to GPS tag their luggage so we can track them in MTAC."

Tony sucked in a silent breath. "Director… if the CIA sees me there…"

Jenny glared at him. "Then make sure the CIA _doesn't _see you there."

"How am I supposed to do that when I don't know what their operative looks like?"

"You're smart, Tony. Figure it out."

_Fix it. _She had snapped at him weeks ago. Tony watched as she sauntered out of the bullpen and back to her office. What the heck was he going to do? If he went and tagged those bag he would be putting his life and Leah's life in danger, but if he didn't go… he'd lose his job. And maybe, that wasn't what was so important anymore. Grabbing the warrant up and shoving it in his pocket, he snatched his badge and weapon from the top drawer of his desk and stalked out of the bullpen. If Jenny was going to play hardball, he was going to play it right back.

* * *

Rene wasn't with his people getting off the private jet. Meaning, he was still in D.C.

Tony watched through his binoculars as the group departed the plane. Two males and a female. He quickly grabbed his camera and started taken in pictures. He hadn't gotten close enough to tag the luggage, but before the limo had been brought around he had coaxed the driver into letting him "inspect" the car… since he was an employee of Rene Benoit after all. The driver had obliged and Tony had planted the bug in the trunk.

It was going to have to be enough for Jenny. He was not about to show his face near those people and if she didn't like it, well… he had a letter of resignation in his bag that he could shove in her face. Briefly guilt swept through him as he snapped the photographs. It wouldn't be nice of him to just leave his team, without explaining… but Jenny was really giving him not choice in the matter. Not anymore. It was clear that she was willing to sacrifice him—and Leah—to get her revenge.

_Captain Ahab in deed, _Tony thought as his cellphone rang. Putting his camera down, he reached for it and flipped it open. "Yeah, DiNozzo."

"_Tony! Where are you?" _Ziva's voice said in a bit of a panic. "_Gibbs is on the war trail!"_

"Path," Tony corrected her. "And I'm running an errand for the Director."

"_Since when did you become her errand boy?" _Ziva inquired.

"Well, since no one else was in the squad room when she asked," Tony answered. "How mad is Gibbs that I'm not there?"

Ziva dropped her voice to a near whisper, "_Do you remember last year, when Palmer accidently spilled his coffee?" _

Tony frowned, continuing to keep his eyes on his targets as they got into the limo to drive away. "Palmer nearly wet his pants… yeah I remember. Tell him I'll be back soon," he promised and hung the phone up. Starting the car, Tony pointed it in the direction of the Navy Yard and headed back. _One of these days this job is going to be the end of me._

* * *

"Jethro, I'm worried about Anthony," Ducky announced, softly after the team had left for the night. "He has not been himself since you returned."

"Probably adjusting to me being home, Duck," Gibbs answered, even if he shared the same sentiments as the medical examiner.

"You can't tell me you haven't noticed it? The quiet, the disappearing in the middle of the day to do these _errands _for Jenny," Ducky pointed out.

Gibbs pushed his chair back away from his desk. He had noticed it, all of it, and he was concerned that the so-called errands for Jenny had started up again after being absent for weeks. Director Shepard had him working undercover on something, and something that involved a young PH.D candidate at George Washington University. He hadn't put the pieces together yet on why or how Leah Dawson fit into all this—he just knew that she was Tony's girlfriend. "Yeah," he finally said, "I've noticed."

Ducky was happy to see that there was still some of the old Gibbs in the man that sat before him—the one that had marched into a biomedical lab to save his agent from the plague, the one that had chased an agent's killer, obsessively, until that killer was brought to a more biblical form of justice. Jethro was just as worried about Tony as the rest of them. "I suggest, Jethro, that we don't hesitate to act. You have some say and pull with Jenny…"

He shook his head. "I don't think she's going to listen to me, Ducky. Before I came back, I saw the two of them ready to do battle. She had a look in her eyes… she's got her mind set on something, Duck, and when that happens no one can change it."

"Even if it means costing an agent his life?"

"Yeah, I think even if it means that."

"Jethro… surely you are not going to sit here and say nothing to her."

Gibbs swallowed and turned his chair, looking up towards Jenny's office. No, he wasn't going to just sit here and say nothing to her. She was manipulating one of his agents and was time that she knew this wasn't acceptable. Flinging the chair backwards so hard when he stood that it crashed into the filing cabinets with a loud clang, Gibbs moved passed Ducky and headed towards the stairs, taking them two at a time. This messing with his team… it was going to end tonight.

* * *

Tony noticed the parked town car in front of the movie theater when he exited. He gripped Leah's hand tightly and turned her in the opposite direction of the car. She was fumbling with her cell phone while they walked and didn't even notice that he had them going in the opposite director of her apartment.

If he could make it to the Metro station they could lose that town car, they could take the train to McGee's place… crash there for the night until he could think up a plan of action…and they would have made it to the station before the car caught up with them in the traffic if Leah hadn't stumbled and dropped her cell phone. She pulled away from him cursing as the town car pulled up and three large men got out, surrounding the couple.

Leah wasn't aware of the danger until one of the men took hold of her, covering her mouth while the other two dragged Tony into an nearby, dark alley. She was shoved into the alley as well, watching helplessly as Tony was kicked and punched. When they were done, when Tony had slumped against the brick wall, bloodied and bruised, one of them snapped, "Found the GPS tracker, Agent DiNozzo. Clever, but not clever enough. Mr. Benoit says to let this be a warning… back off."


	23. Cover Your Six

**Warnings: **Spoilers for Season 4, implication of adult content

**A/N: **There was some kind of glitch with the site and sending out alerts when I posted the last chapter. Hope everyone got to read it and enjoy it!

* * *

"You're lucky Agent DiNozzo," the ER doctor told him, "Only cuts, bruises and a busted lip. Could have been much worse."

Tony gingerly put his suit coat back on and hissed in pain as he did so. He might only have cuts and bruises but they sure did hurt like hell, especially when he tried to move his arms and legs. "Am I free to go, Doc?"

Leah could see that the doctor was going to press Tony about filing charges—again. She understood why he was shying away from that, Rene Benoit had shown how dangerous he was… getting the police involved would only make matters worse. "I promise to take good care of him, doctor."

The doctor let out a heavy sigh and signed a paper. Handing it to Tony, he repeated, "Like I said, Agent DiNozzo… you were lucky. _Very _lucky." He pulled the curtain back and wished the couple a good night.

"Do you want me to go call a cab?" Leah asked, noticing him wince as he tried to get off the bed. "And get a wheelchair?"

"Don't want you…walking…alone," Tony ground out as he stood, "And I…don't need… a wheelchair."

"Ok. Suit yourself," Leah replied, wrapping her arm through his to help support him. "But I really don't think you're in any position to defend me or walk on your own."

Tony grumbled underneath his breath. If he had too, he could still fight—or maybe not as pain shot through his body at an alarming rate while he took slow steps towards the counter. Damn the Frog and his goons. Damn Jenny for putting him in this position in the first place and damn Gibbs for jaunting off to Mexico, leaving Tony vulnerable to Jenny's manipulation. "Let's just go home."

Leah helped him up to the counter where he was able to check himself out and then helped him outside into the chilly night air. She managed to hail a cab while supporting him against her small frame, and then managed to help him into the cab.

He rested his head against the cool glass of his window and watched as the cab drove them through the streets of Washington. Tony didn't know how he was going to explain the bruises and cuts tomorrow at work—or how he was going to tell Jenny that Benoit was still on to them. _Gibbs… you have to tell Gibbs._

"Tony?" Leah's voice broke through the foggy haze. "Are you okay?"

"Fine… it just hurts… a lot," Tony mumbled.

"You're scared," Leah replied, softly. "Rene's goons said you put something in their car. What did they mean by that?"

Tony shifted uncomfortably in the seat and looked at her, gently. "GPS tracker… it was so NCIS could track his movements."

Leah's brow furrowed in concentration. "Why would NCIS want to track Rene? What do you think he's done?"

He contemplated what he was going to tell her. Make up some lie… _no, tell her the truth, DiNozzo. She's stuck with you this long and you promised that the lies stopped weeks ago. _In a movement that caused a great deal of pain, Tony reached out and took her hand into his own and gave it a squeeze. "Rene Benoit is one of the world's most dangerous arms' dealers, NCIS was investigating him for selling to terrorist groups that target the Navy and the Marines."

"Was?" she repeated, not phased by what he had just told her. On some level she always knew Rene was into something illegal. "What do you mean, he _was_ under investigation?"

"Turns out the operation wasn't sanctioned," Tony replied. "My director has a personal vendetta against him and she's using me to get her revenge."

"I might not know a lot about your work but shouldn't you have back-up?" she asked, firmly.

And there, the truth, slapped him in the face. Jenny didn't seem to care that she was leaving him without back-up. She claimed that _she _was his back-up. But would she really rush to help him if he called for it while she was in the middle of an important meeting? Clearly he could have used some back-up tonight. Softly he took her face between his hands and brought his busted lips down to hers in a tender kiss. "I'm going to put an end to this, Leah. I promise."

She leaned her forehead against his as the cab came to a stop in front of her apartment building. "I know," she said in a breathy whisper. "I trust you."

He paid the cabbie and gingerly got of the taxi, with the help of Leah. The pair made their way slowly up to her apartment. Inside she helped him to her bed, taking off his shoes, placing his weapon and badge gently on her night stand. She then began to peel the layers of his clothing back. "What… what are you doing?" he asked, pulse racing just a bit.

Coyly she grinned at him. "Taking care of you."

Her lips pressed to his, prodding him into a deep, hungry kiss. Tony didn't care if it was going to cause a great deal of pain… he liked this brand of being taken care of… much better than a gruff marine and pain killers like he'd known in the past. She got his clothes off easy enough, with as little pain to him as she could afford. Tony let his eyes flutter shut, feeling her kiss and caress each bruise, each cut hidden underneath bandages. She made love to him, gently, carefully so she wouldn't hurt him more but still filled with a passion and vigor that he enjoyed.

Tony softly rolled her off of him and wrapped her flush against his aching, but humming with satisfaction body. "You need to take care of me more often," he whispered into her ear before they both drifted off to sleep, content in the other's arms.

* * *

Ugly bruises covered one side of Tony's face, spreading over his cheekbone and around his eye. Gibbs felt fury boiling in his belly when he looked at his senior field agent. Jenny had dodged him the night before, slipping out of NCIS before he got to confront her in her office… she was not going to be so lucky today.

Tony was moving slowly, gingerly, and every now and then let out a soft wince of pain. He'd told the team that he'd been mugged but Gibbs found that to be a bunch of BS. And the former marine was pretty sure that McGee and Ziva didn't buy it either. Especially when Tony waved it off and said he wasn't going to press charges. _Like hell, _Gibbs thought, angrily. If there was one thing he knew about his senior field agent it was his strong sense of justice. Tony would not let the person that did this to him walk away unless he had good reason too.

"Gear up," the team leader instructed his team after getting a call out, "Dead Navy Lieutenant…" he watched as McGee and Ziva gathered up their backpacks and headed towards the elevator, and he snapped when Tony tried to do the same. "Uh-huh! You, stay."

"Boss! Come on! I can still take photographs and conduct interviews!" Tony argued. He looked helplessly at McGee and Ziva for help. "I admit… I'm a bit slow today… but I can still do my job!"

Gibbs shooed the others to the elevator and stepped up in front of Tony's desk. "You and I both know you weren't mugged. Until you tell me the truth, DiNozzo—you're not going anywhere, clear?"

Tony swallowed and clenched his jaw. He knew that the truth had to come out sooner or later, he couldn't hide forever."Fine. You're right. I wasn't mugged. I only said that to keep you, Ziva and McGee off my back."

"What happened?"

"Grabbed by two of Rene Benoit's men, dragged into an alley, and beaten up to send a message."

He knew that name, Gibbs just wasn't sure from where. He shifted his gaze towards the upper level, where Jenny was standing watching. Looking back at Tony, he asked, "Director Shepard have you working on something, alone?"

Tony knew that Jenny's eyes were on him. Knew that he was taking a huge risk telling Gibbs—but he needed back-up, needed someone that he could trust. Gibbs might have left him, might have thrown the team on him, but when it came down to it, Tony knew that Gibbs always had his six. "Yeah. She gave it to me shortly after you left. Operation to infiltrate Rene Benoit's arms' dealing business—needless to say… it's backfired."

Gibbs licked his lips and handed the keys to the Charger to Tony. "Take the team. Go look into our crime scene."

Panic flashed through Tony's eyes. "Boss… what are you going to do?"

"Cover your six, DiNozzo," he snapped, stalking up the stairs towards Jenny. There would be no hiding from him now.

* * *

Jenny had a cold façade on when he marched, angrily, into her office. "Can I help you with something Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs slammed her office door shut. "You see DiNozzo yet this morning?"

"No. I heard that he was mugged last night. I'm glad he's okay," Jenny responded, not changing her expression or her cool tone. "But maybe you should have him doing desk work."

"You have a hell of a nerve telling me what _I_ should be doing with my agents, Jen," Gibbs snapped. He stalked around the room like a predator. Didn't she get it? She was the cause for Tony's injuries, for an arms' dealers men to go after him and beat him up. "Especially when you're using him behind my back for your own sick twisted agenda!"

Jenny's jaw twitched. "As the head of NCIS I have every right to use _my _agents as I see fit. Not every operation in this agency concerns you Agent Gibbs. Stop acting like a spoiled child that doesn't want to share toys."

Gibbs growled low in his throat. "If the operation puts the life of my team on the line—it damn well does concern me Jen. Tony wasn't mugged last night and you know it. Rene Benoit sent his goons to rough him up—to get you to back off! You want Tony dead? Do you want him on a cold table in autopsy? Because if you don't pull him out now, that's exactly what's going to happen!"

"Is that all, Jethro? Last time I checked you can't order me around," Jenny snapped. "So, if you're quite done, I have work to do and you can leave."

"One more then, Jen," Gibbs threw out before leaving, "I know I can't order you around—but leave my team alone."

"My agents—."

"The hell with that Jen! You keep this up I'll go to Davenport myself!"

Jenny looked surprised by this. "You wouldn't…"

Gibbs set his jaw. "I would. If it meant keeping Tony safe… you bet your ass I would." He flung the door open and stepped out, seeing Cynthia eye him cautiously. "If he gets seriously injured or dies, Jenny, I hope you're prepared to take the fall for it." He left with the ball in her court—if something were to happen to Tony, she now knew Gibbs would be the first one to make sure she went down for it, to hell with their past relationship. She was letting the power get to her. She was no longer the woman he had loved. And it was time that he stopped treating her like she was.

* * *

_Does Jenny listen? Or does Gibbs go over her head to Davenport?_


	24. Never Assume

**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Driven", Season 4

**A/N:** Happy Friday! Long chapter ahead. Enjoy!

**E-**_I agree, Jenny is abusing her powers. I think Gibbs is going to be on his way to speak to Davenport soon enough._

* * *

It was freezing in their tiny car. Tim shivered against the cold but kept his camera on the restaurant. Some fancy one that Agent Timothy McGee could never afford, but perhaps Thom E. Gemocity could dine at on occasion.

He peeked over his shoulder at a stoic Gibbs, who was perched in the driver's seat with his icy blue eyes trained on the window of the restaurant and one hand thoughtfully resting across his lips. They were still in the middle of a case but the second Tony had started blabbering that he had some errand to run for the Director, Gibbs had cornered the senior field agent in the elevator. Only Gibbs had emerged, informing Tim and Ziva that he'd sent Tony home for the evening.

No one in the bullpen actually believed that Tony had been mugged, it just didn't add up in their minds, and Tim had concluded at the moment that Tony had gotten injured doing something for Director Shepard. This thought especially ran true when Gibbs requested that he help him stake a restaurant out that. He wasn't sure exactly why there were here, it didn't pertain to their current case—and it also didn't seem to be okayed by Director Shepard—but Tim could see it in Gibbs' eyes that something was churning in his gut.

Gibbs for his part stayed silent. He'd done some background work after Tony had come clean about the Frog. Using some pull, he had managed to track down Benoit's associates to this location… of course that pull had to corner Tony trying to desperately exit the bullpen. How Jenny had tracked the group here… he'd find out later. Right now, he was here to make sure that none of Benoit's associates went after his SFA a second time.

Tim had been the perfect one to take on this assignment with him. He didn't ask questions, followed his boss to the stake out and was diligently taking photographs. Gibbs knew if he had taken Ziva there would have been a whole horde of questions to answer and it would have been stupid to come here without back-up.

If he was honest, he would have taken Tony… if the younger man had been in any position to work in the field. His injuries, although not serious, were hampering his movements. Another reason that Gibbs had sent him home for the evening.

"Boss," Tim said, interrupting his thoughts. "Two other people are joining the group at the table."

"Yeah, I see them," Gibbs said, straightening his back as an older gentleman and a young woman joined Benoit and his associates at the table.

Tim snapped some more photographs and then pulled back, startled. "Boss, the woman…" he said pulling his camera away and calling up the display screen. He flipped through the photographs until he found the last one he had taken.

Gibbs looked at the young woman's face. He'd seen that face before somewhere…

"It's Leah Dawson."

"Tony's girlfriend."

Tim licked his lips. Was this the reason that Director Shepard had asked Tim to run a background check on her? "So… Tony's been dating her all this time as some kind of undercover mission? To bring Rene Benoit in?"

Gibbs pondered this. When he had seen Leah that afternoon at the university it appeared to him that Tony wasn't using any cover with her. So, what did this woman have to do with this mess that Jenny had created? "You said her father was a lawyer? Is that him with her now?" he asked, gesturing towards the tall, good looking middle-aged man that was shaking hands with Benoit and each of his associates.

"Yes. He works for one of the biggest firms in all of Massachusetts. They've handled some pretty high profile cases," Tim replied. He pulled his laptop out of the bag at his feet and began a search. In a few seconds he had a picture of John Dawson on his screen. "Your gut was right boss, that's John Dawson."

"Rene Benoit would need a lawyer, he fronts his operation as a transportation business, but he'd want to keep one around in case of criminal dealings. John Dawson is probably his lawyer…," Gibbs mused. But that didn't really tell him where _Leah _fit into all of this. Would Jenny have ordered Tony to get close to Leah in order to get close to Benoit?

"Whoa, boss," Tim sputtered, turning the computer around so Gibbs could see the photograph that he'd come across of Mr. and Mrs. Dawson, standing with Benoit and a young woman that _looked _like Leah but wasn't her. "That's Rene Benoit's daughter, Jeanne, at some charity event last year for the hospital her mother works at in Boston. Her and Leah could be sisters!"

Gibbs cursed silently. Tim might not have made the connection yet, but Gibbs had worked enough undercover operations to know—Tony had made a mistake. He had believed Leah to be Jeanne Benoit and he'd made his move. Jenny had ordered Tony to romance the arms' dealer's daughter… not Leah. For what it was worth, Tony had certainly fooled McGee and Ziva into thinking that his relationship with Leah was real.

In the restaurant Leah got up from the table, apparently saying her good-byes and headed outside, pulling a navy blue peacoat tight to her petite frame. Gibbs and Tim watched as she pulled out her cellphone, spoke briefly on the phone and then hung up, hailing a cab in the process.

Tim muttered, "Wonder where she's going."

Gibbs started the Charger up and pulled out into the traffic following the cab. "Let's find out."

Silence filled the car as he wove through the streets of Washington. Tim was too busy looking out the window and identifying landmarks to hazard guess where they were headed than to speak to Gibbs—and really, Gibbs didn't like to talk that much anyways. But when the cab pulled to a stop and Leah got out in front of a familiar building, he gasped, "Boss… this is…"

He didn't need to finish, the front door of the building opened and Tony hobbled out. Gibbs and McGee watched as the senior field agent took the young woman into his arms and kissed her, deeply, passionately and then with one arm around her, led her inside his apartment building.

"You don't think… you don't think Leah blew his cover to Benoit, do you boss?" Tim asked eyes a little wide with disbelief at what he'd just seen. Could the woman that the team had known as _the mystery girlfriend _been betraying Tony all this time?

"I don't know, McGee," Gibbs said, softly, trying to process all the information he had learned in just one day. He took a deep breath and pulled the car back out into the traffic to head back to the Navy Yard. "But not a word to anyone got it? Not until I get to the bottom of this."

Tim nodded, firmly. "Got it, boss."

Gibbs set his jaw. "Let's get back to headquarters. We have a lot of photos to run facial recognition on."

* * *

Freshly baked pastries could be smelled from the street as Gibbs got out of the car. He'd spent the entire night working on those photographs that McGee had taken, digging up as much information about each person as he could—and finding out if they had any ties to NCIS and Jenny. Nothing suggested why Jenny was going off the deep end like this. But right now, he had a bigger issue to deal with.

Stepping inside the coffee shop his blue eyes adjusted to the light quickly and he found his target. Leah Dawson was seated at a small table, a large textbook in front of her and a yellow highlighter in her hand. She didn't look like someone that was passing on information to a deadly arms' dealer, but Gibbs could not come up with any other reason why Tony's cover was blown.

Gibbs stepped up to the counter and ordered a coffee. With the fresh brew in hand, he went and sat down at her table. "Miss Dawson, mind if I join you?"

Leah looked up, startled, but recognition dawned on her face. He was the man that had approached her on campus, months ago, asking for Tony. "What do you want?"

He liked her cut to the chase attitude. Gibbs sipped his coffee. "That's a nice bracelet you have," he said, pointing towards the diamond tennis bracelet around her left wrist, "must have cost a lot of money."

She glanced at the bracelet. "It was a gift."

"From Rene Benoit?" Gibbs could see that he'd struck a cord in her.

Instantly she grabbed her book up, her coffee, and her pastry bag and got to her feet. "I don't know who you are, or what you want… but your implications make me sick," Leah snapped, pushing her way through the crowd of people and heading outside.

Gibb slid out of his seat and followed her. He yanked his credentials out and nearly shoved them in her face. "A love with a fair with a much older married man, I could overlook, certainly not my place to judge… but passing on information to a dangerous arms' dealer, putting the life of one of my agents on the line—better believe I'm not letting that slide, Ms. Dawson."

Leah blinked, looking at the identification in front of her and then jerked backwards. "You think I'm passing on information about NCIS to Rene? I can't stand being in the same room with him! He scares me!"

"You had dinner last night with him."

"What? How did you…"

"You and your father were seen at a fancy restaurant downtown having dinner with Rene Benoit and his associates."

"That doesn't mean I'm providing information to him!"

Gibbs was losing his patience with her. Tony's life was in danger, extreme danger and he was sure that this woman had something to do with it. "I'm giving you a chance to come clean here, Ms. Dawson. Maybe without federal charges…"

Leah was getting angry, her blue eyes were dark and her nostrils flared. "Federal charges? For what? My father and I ran into Rene at dinner last night. My father stayed for another drink, I went home!"

He clenched his jaw. "You went to Special Agent DiNozzo's apartment."

She paled. "You're following me?"

"To protect my agent—yes."

"Tony? You think I'm passing on information to Rene about Tony? I would never do that! I would never hurt him!"

Gibbs suddenly was in her space, tired from being up all night, tired of Jenny's games, and just plain tired that he couldn't seem to figure out what was going on and protect Tony. "He was assaulted the other night! By three of Benoit's men! And you just happen to be the daughter of Benoit's lawyer, close family friends, and you just so happen to be dating Tony! I don't believe in coincidences!"

Leah wasn't sure how to react, what to say. She was shaking slightly from anger mostly, but some slight fear of this tall, strong man getting up in her face like this. As she thought about what to say next, Tony came out of nowhere and shoved the other agent aside. "Back off, Gibbs!" he snarled, standing between Leah and Gibbs. "You don't know a damn thing!"

He wasn't about to be pushed around by his agent, not like this, not in public. Gibbs glared at Tony. "She's selling you out!"

Tony had an almost predatory look in his eyes. Gibbs had seen it before…when Kate had died… when Paula Cassidy was missing… he was dangerous when he had that look. "If you had bothered to ask me… I could have told you… but you're so damn bullheaded sometimes, Gibbs! Leah isn't selling me out! The CIA is!" He chuckled when he saw the look on the lead agent's face. "That's right—Rene Benoit has been working with the CIA. They made me. They told him about me. Now, in order to keep his sweet deal with the CIA—he's targeting me unless I back off."

Gibbs rocked back on his heels. _Damn it. _He'd flown off the handle almost as fast as Jenny… perhaps they were more alike than he originally believed. "I'm sorry, Tony."

"Not me you should be apologizing too, boss" Tony snapped. "You accused her of conspiring with terrorists."

"Tony… it's okay…" Leah said, quietly, "He didn't know…"

"No! No it's not okay!" Tony shouted. "He would have cuffed you and dragged you down to NCIS!"

"I was trying to watch your six, DiNozzo!"

"Guess what? I can watch it myself!"

Leah was almost certain that this was going to come to blows if someone or something didn't stop the two men. Clearly she could see their alpha male personalities coming through, and clearly, somehow, she was in the middle of it. Gibbs was trying to protect Tony from_ her_ and Tony was trying to protect her from_ Gibbs_. And just when things were really starting to get heated up, a cell phone rang.

Gibbs broke the intense stand-off with Tony to answer his phone. "Yeah, go ahead McGee," he said, somewhat in a growl. He walked away to chat with the other agent.

Tony didn't move, hovering around Leah like a protective mother bear. He felt her hand slip into his and he wrapped his fingers around hers tightly. Using her hand to guide her closer to him, Tony eased when her body brushed against his. He wasn't completely mollified—he was still furious at Gibbs for accosting his girlfriend like this—but her presence cooled his temper enough to clear his head. He was already in rough shape and Gibbs could easily drop him when Tony wasn't injured…

"Abby and McGee found something in that car," Gibbs said, returning, he eyed Tony cautiously. "Told them we'd be along once we're done here."

"Just waiting for you to apologize, Gibbs," Tony said, heavily.

"I think we have a few more things to talk about."

"No. I said all I needed to say."

Gibbs shifted his gaze towards Leah, softened it considerably, and told her, "I'm sorry, Miss Dawson. Broke one of my own rules—never assume. I should have made sure I had all the facts before I came to you." _I'm just trying to keep Tony out of harm's way. _

Leah nodded and accepted his apology, after all he was just trying to watch out for Tony, and after what happened the other night—after those goons had beaten Tony up she was happy to learn that when he was at work, someone was looking out for him.

Tony's fingers loosened on hers as he let out a harsh breath, "Now, see, that wasn't so hard, boss."

Gibbs grunted and headed towards the car, not waiting for Tony to follow him. He wouldn't lie and say that Tony didn't have a right to be angry at him… but Tony should have at least given the team leader a chance to explain himself before he went off. Getting into the car he watched as his senior field agent parted ways with Leah—the way he kissed her, looked at her—he hadn't seen it the night before, but now he did. Tony was in love.

Tony slid into the passenger seat just as Gibbs came to this conclusion and put his seatbelt on. "Boss… listen… I was just…"

He sighed and started the car up. "Trying to protect the woman you love," Gibbs supplied. He chuckled when he saw Tony's eyes widen. "Oh come on, DiNozzo. You don't think I can't see it? And you had… every right to get mad at me."

As the streets of Washington whirred by him, Tony took a deep breath. "My original assignment was to romance Jeanne Benoit and get close to her father. Jenny wasn't giving me a lot of information to go on and she sent me to Paris to observe Jeanne—or who I thought was Jeanne. It turned out… it was Leah. I spent two weeks getting close to her… and by the time I realized I had the wrong girl…

"You had fallen in love with her," Gibbs supplied.

"Yeah, I did," Tony confessed. "Jenny was pissed that I had screwed up. I told her that I could make it work… now Jenny is on my case and Benoit is after me…"

"I'm sorry, Tony," Gibbs said, softly.

"Wow, two apologies in one year," Tony mumbled, rubbing his temple. "Maybe I should apologize too, boss. I should have… I should have told you everything."

Gibbs kept his eyes on the road and sighed. "You wanted to keep her safe."

Tony watched as the streets of Washington whirred by him. "Yeah," he whispered. "Turns out… I don't think I'm doing that good of a job."

Something dawned on Gibbs then. "Benoit threaten her?" he questioned, looking at Tony and seeing the dark cloud cross the senior field agent's green eyes. Tony nodded his head, slowly, and Gibbs pushed harder down onto the gas. He had been hemming and hawing about going to Davenport… but now… now the life of an innocent woman was at risk. And if Jenny didn't stop playing her games… both Tony and Leah could end up dead.


	25. Concerns

**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Driven", romance might be a bit cheesy (But I like cheese so...)

**A/N: **Here it is, the "Gibbs goes to Davenport" chapter. Enjoy!

**Guest- **_Thank you! Glad you liked the chapter. __No plans for Tony and Leah to break-up :) And I'm not afraid of maybe having a baby or proposal pop up someday either. _

* * *

Ziva noticed that Tony was unusually quiet on the drive to Jamie Jones apartment building. And was also surprised that Tony had let her drive. _He must be in more pain than he is letting on, _she concluded as she pulled the car onto the highway. "Are you sure you are well enough to do this?" she asked, glancing at him briefly.

Tony pursed his lips and nodded his head. "Just a few aches and pains really, nothing more. Ducky gave me some Advil before we left. Going to take more than a couple of muggers to take me down, Ziva. Besides… Abby had McGee busy working on Otto and how the program works. I might be smart and good looking but I don't know a thing about computer programing."

"Do you think Jamie Jones was involved? He's only a mechanic," Ziva pointed out.

"You saw the video of him assaulting the Lieutenant," Tony sighed, flexing his fingers. "Gibbs wants us to cover all bases."

Ziva had to agree. If they ignored the video they would not be doing their jobs. But, her attempt to get Tony talking and theorizing wildly about who did it had failed. The car fell into silence once again. She never realized how much his silence unnerved her. This was not the Tony she knew. When he was this quiet and pensive it set the balance of the team off. She feared that something was really wrong and that what happened to him the other night was not just a mugging. "Why did you not press charges against the men that assaulted you?" she blurted, concern in her voice. "It is a serious crime, is it not?"

Tony fidgeted in his seat and fumbled around for an answer that made sense. "I wasn't seriously hurt and they only got away with some cash from my wallet… just seemed like a lot of hassle to go through for a couple hundred dollars and some bruises."

"But what if next time they hurt someone worse?"

"Listen, Ziva, I get it—the team is upset that I didn't press charges—but that's my choice."

"We are upset that you were hurt, Tony. And quite frankly, you're story that you were mugged does not pan out," Ziva replied, sternly.

"Sorry if you don't believe me," Tony snapped, feeling anxious.

Ziva turned off the highway and headed down a tight street towards Jones' apartment building. "I just find it hard to believe that a federal agent, who is physically fit, was not able to fight off muggers."

Tony flashed back to the look of fear in Leah's eyes while the two goons wailed on him—while the other held her in place. If he had fought back it would have ended up worse for him and they could have turned on Leah… he shivered and ended the conversation, "I was taken by surprise, okay! Not all of us have ninja senses like you!"

She was startled by his outburst. It wasn't that he had yelled at her that surprised her—he had yelled at her plenty—it was the desperation in his voice. "Tony, are you in some kind of trouble?"

He didn't respond. Instead, he got out of the parked car in front of Jones' place and proceeded to the front door. Ziva followed him and picked the lock. The two entered the apartment and began to poke around. No one had seen Jamie since the day before Roni's death… it was rather suspicious even if Tony knew that the computer programing was way beyond Jamie's skill levels. He wasn't sure what they were going to find at the apartment but he certainly wasn't expecting to find Jones, naked, bound and gagged on his bed.

Tony tossed a look at Ziva before pulling out his cell phone and dialing Gibbs. "Hey, boss. We found Jamie Jones. And you never going to believe where."

* * *

Gibbs had investigated a lot of cases in his life time and finding the mechanic tied up, apparently waiting to play out some sexual fantasy wasn't really all that new to him. The team had stumbled upon quite a few similar scenes through out the years. It was Jones' insistence that he and Lieutenant Seabrooke were dating that threw Gibbs off. And since that damn car had tried to kill Abby that afternoon… well… the team leader wasn't in a particularly good mood.

Jamie Jones seemed to get that the NCIS agent was out for blood, even if he wasn't exactly sure why. Sure the video that the agent kept showing over and over of Roni striking him after he kissed her was pretty damning… but why was he being interrogated like a common criminal? "All you have to do is call Roni, Agent Gibbs. And she'll tell you that we're seeing one another… that it was some game that we played."

For the former marine, this wasn't some game, and the agents watching him conduct this interview knew that his patience was starting to run thin. Gibbs prod some more, asking what kinds of games they liked to play and Jones was more than eager and willing to answer.

Tony leaned against the wall in observation, taking notice to every little twitch of Jones' jaw and nervous tick. If he had killed Seabrooke, Jones was a hell of a liar. He was displaying none of the tale tell signs of a guilty party. Suddenly he was aware that Ziva was next to him, he sniffed her perfume—jasmine and honey. "Something you want to say, Officer David?"

"Do you think he did it?" Ziva asked, gesturing towards Jones cowering in front of Gibbs. "Do you think he killed her?"

"You tell me," Tony retorted. "You saw the video."

"But that does not explain how he ended up tied to a bed, gagged."

"Accomplices, Ziva."

Ziva still was not convinced. Jones was not acting like a killer. Gibbs was continuing to press him and then showed him Roni's face on the screen, her laying down in autopsy when the mechanic insisted that Roni had left him there to go test drive Otto and that she was playing some kind of trick on him—that she liked to play tricks. His face looking at the photo said it all—he was not who they were looking for. She glanced at Tony and could see in his eyes that he felt the same way.

Tony felt bad for the guy, connecting with him on some level because his deepest fear at the moment was Leah ending up on Ducky's table. He suppressed a shiver as his cell phone rang. Glancing down he saw that it was from Leah. "Tony," he answered, casually, looking over his shoulder at Ziva before shifting away from her.

"_Am I catching you at a bad time?" _Leah asked, sounding nervous.

"Ah, no, what can I do for you?" Tony inquired.

"_Well, I feel bad that I ditched you last night for my father… thought I could make up to you with dinner tonight? There's a great little sushi place near my apartment," _Leah told him, brightly. "_Maybe we can go check it out._"

"Okay."

"_Don't sound so excited." _

"I'm at work. But, right, got it. OK."

Tony quickly hung the phone up without saying good-bye to her. As he went to shut the phone, Ziva grabbed his wrist and turned the screen towards her to see who he had been talking too. Tony tried to pull away and glared at her. "Can I help you with something, Officer David?"

Ziva looked at the screen and noticed that it simply read _LD. _"Who is LD?"

"My doctor, okay?"

"Doctor? Are you sick? Why did they call?"

"I'm pregnant," Tony deadpanned, "McGee's going to be very proud!"

Ziva slackened her grip on his wrist. Tony snarled something at the technician watching them and then yanked his wrist free from her grasp. He left without saying another word, and leaving her behind with even more questions than before.

* * *

By the end of the day Otto had been torn apart, put back together, lost and found again.

Tony rubbed his temple as he typed his report. _And we found Lieutenant Seabrooke's killer… even if Dr. Pike intended to kill the snotty Dr. Engler instead… _Looking up he noticed the time on his computer and sighed. He was running late to meet Leah for dinner. After the rough start this morning with Gibbs confuting the two of them at the coffee shop, Tony owed her a nice, quiet, romantic evening. And it wouldn't start off well if he was extremely late.

Quickly finishing up his report, he printed it, signed it and placed it on Gibbs desk. He shut down his computer for the night and packed up. If he timed it right, Leah would only be waiting for him for no more than twenty minutes. Zipping up his backpack he smiled slightly at the thought of seeing her after this long day. It was nice to have something to look forward too...

Ziva glanced up from her work when she heard the shuffling of bags and coats. "Leaving?" she questioned, softly. She was still concerned that something was wrong and that Tony was in some kind of trouble, but he had refused to talk to her about it all day, telling her that he was fine. She might not have been on the team long, but even she knew when Tony said _I'm fine _it wasn't good.

"Yeah," Tony replied, shutting his light off. He gave her a tired smile. "See you in the morning."

"Good night, Tony," Ziva whispered as he departed the bullpen.

Tony climbed into the elevator and leaned against the rail, his eyes traveling towards where Ziva was sitting. Letting out a sigh he hit the button to close the doors and then for the garage. He couldn't ponder what her sudden interest in his well being meant, Leah was waiting for him. It did however nag at him all the way to the restaurant. Months ago it felt like Ziva could have cared less what was happening with him… now it seemed like she really did care.

Maybe McGee had been right, that she was acting the way she was because she was jealous of Tony's new relationship. After overhearing that comment to Abby one afternoon while the boss was still in Mexico, Tony hadn't thought much about it. Now, it was pushing to the forefront of his mind.

Parking his Mustang he got out, sweeping his eyes along the street for trouble. Thankfully, tonight, it appeared that Benoit was going to leave him and Leah alone. _And no sign of Gibbs, that's a plus too. _ He stepped into the restaurant and found Leah immediately. It was easy to do when she was the most beautiful woman in the room, well at least in his eyes she was. She was wearing her hair down, it flowed over her shoulders in golden waves and the sensual, lacy, black top she had on with her jeans accented her curves perfectly. But it was the look in her eyes when she saw him that made his heart flutter.

Her beautiful features pulled into a stunning smile, one filled with so much adoration and love for him, it overwhelmed him just a little. Tony normally would run in the opposite direction when his charm had won a woman over like that… but not her, he wanted to run _to _her when she looked at him that way.

Tony sat down at the small table and leaned in, kissing her tenderly. "Hello, bella. Miss me?"

Leah sighed against his lips. "Always. Did you miss me?"

"Always," he repeated, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I like when you wear your hair down. You look amazing, Leah."

"Funny, you're the fourth man to say that to me tonight," she said with a breathy laugh.

Tony's shoulders stiffened. "What other men have said that to you?"

Leah pressed her finger to his lips. "Do I detect a hint of jealousy?"

"No… yes. You got me okay?"

"Don't worry. Just some guys trying to pick me up while I was waiting for you."

Tony grumbled, half jokingly, half seriously. "Well, if they come back over, I'm just going to have to flash my SIG at them and tell them to back off," he said, kissing her again, a little bit more passionately this time. "Because, you have a man and he isn't planning on giving you up for a long, long time. Actually he isn't planning on giving you up ever."

Leah closed her eyes and smiled, broadly. "I like the sound of that," she sighed, happily, because despite everything that had been thrown at her since Tony came into her life… she didn't want another man… she just wanted him… for the rest of her life.

* * *

Davenport looked at the photograph on his desk, the beautiful young woman smiling back at him. "Is Jenny aware that this young lady's life is in danger?" he questioned, his eyes searching Gibbs' for a reaction.

Gibbs took a deep breath. "It appears, sir, that she does. Right now, she's so twisted and blinded by her lust for revenge against Benoit… Tony and Leah Dawson could end up dead in the NCIS morgue before she realizes what's going on."

"I gave her clear instructions to back off," Davenport told him, frowning. "Are you telling me that she's disobeyed that order?"

"Yes sir, she had Tony plant a GPS tracker in Benoit's car," Gibbs informed him, "And then Benoit's men beat Tony up that night."

Davenport didn't like to hear that his agents were being used and then beaten—threatened. He had figured Jenny had gone off her rocker just a tad but this… she was putting an innocent woman's life at risk… not to mention one of his agents. "Leah Dawson's parents have a lot of pull in D.C, Jethro. If they were to find out that NCIS was putting her in harm's way… I'd really hate to think of the consequences."

Gibbs nodded. "Then, we're in agreement… Jenny needs to be stopped and this operation needs to be halted."

"She's leaving me no other choice, Jethro," Davenport said. "If she doesn't back off immediately I'll demote her. There are others behind her that can do the job. Ironic… she's treating her agents as disposable when she in reality can be just as disposable to me."

"I wish it didn't have to come to this, sir," Gibbs said, sadly. "But Tony is my friend, my best agent… I need to watch his back. He's already been assaulted, the next time Benoit catches him… Tony won't be walking away in one piece. And NCIS… we can't afford to have this unsanctioned operation on our conscience."

Davenport lit up a cigar and glanced at the photograph of Leah. "Just make sure that Agent DiNozzo and the girl don't get hurt, and we shouldn't have any problems, Jethro. I'll smooth everything over with the CIA and Jenny. You just do your job."

Gibbs nodded and turned to go, grabbing the photograph of Leah off the desk. "As long as Jenny stops investigating Benoit and leaves him to the CIA—my job to keep Tony an Leah safe will be a lot easier, sir."

"Well," Davenport said with a sly smile, "Let's do everything that we can to make sure that happens, Agent Gibbs."

* * *

_Davenport, Gibbs, and Jenny confrontation is coming... uh-oh lol_


	26. Black Tie Affair

**Warnings:** Spoilers for Season 4

**A/N:** Hello good readers! Here is another update for you :) Enjoy!

**E-** _I don't know how explosive you were looking for in the confrontation(s), I wouldn't say that there was anything explosive in this chapter, but it isn't the last time that Jenny and Davenport and Jenny and Gibbs spar. As for Ziva, haven't decided what is going to happen with her yet._

**Guest- **_I'm not sure what Ziva would confront Leah about at this point. Remember, she's the only one (besides Abby, Ducky and Palmer) that doesn't know the girlfriend's identity. McGee is loyal to Gibbs and Gibbs swore him to secrecy. As for babies and rings, not sure when it will happen in this verse, but I have written another verse with Leah in it that does have babies and rings lol. Links are in my profile. At this point I have no intention of writing a full descriptive sex scene, just implied. _

* * *

Snow covered the streets of Washington almost two weeks later. Tony awoke in Leah's bed to find her windows frosted up and a fresh powder on the sills. He kissed his girlfriend behind the ear, stirring her and he smiled. "Do you think we could eat breakfast off each other's stomachs like we did the left-over sushi last week?" Tony purred, nuzzling her neck.

Leah giggled and turned in his arms. She smiled, coyly at him. "And you tried to tell me that you didn't like sushi," Leah countered, running her fingertip along his jaw. "You certainly enjoyed it last week."

"Oh, well, it's easy to enjoy it when you're eating it off the stomach of an incredibly attractive woman," Tony said as he flashed her one of his trademark smiles. He tickled her tummy.

"Tony! Stop!" Leah giggled as her phone rang. She pushed him away from her and reached for the headset on her nightstand. "Hello?"

He didn't pay attention to her conversation. Instead he gently kissed her neck while she spoke on the phone to who he could only assume was her mother. She pushed him away a couple of times before rolling out of the bed and finding her robe. Tony pouted and was rewarded with his clothes coming flying at him. Chuckling he put them back on and crawled out of bed and decided to start on breakfast while she continued to talk on the phone.

Tony had a frying pan of bacon and one with eggs going when Leah ventured into the kitchen. He noticed the nervous look in her eyes. "Uh-oh, this can't be good news."

Leah ran her tongue over her lips. "My parents are going to be in D.C this week… hosting some charity event for Christmas at my grandparent's on Friday."

"Are these the grandparents that own the shipping business?"

"Yes. And they… they want to meet you… _Professor._"

He stirred the eggs and thought about this for a long, hard moment. Naturally, at this point in any relationship the parents were going to want to meet the significant other—grandparents too-but his relationship with Leah was different. She was helping him maintain a cover… well… that cover had been blown weeks ago. "So… you haven't told them the truth… that I'm a federal agent?"

She groaned and sat down at the kitchen island. "You don't know my mother, Tony. She will constantly worry about what kind of stable life you can provide for me, and I don't mean money… she knows that with my parents funds I'll always have plenty of money… she means emotionally, physical safety."

Tony continued to cook their breakfast. He didn't blame her mother for her worries. His job was dangerous. Leah had seen how dangerous it was first hand. "Bella, you're going to have tell them sometime… we can't keep the lie up forever."

"Why not?" she whined.

"Because sooner or later we'll be found out," he stated, smiling at her softly.

Leah sighed and knew that he was right. "Can we wait until after Christmas to tell them?"

Tony chuckled and put some food on a plate for her. "Yeah. We can wait until after the holidays."

"Good," she said, taking a bite of her breakfast. "Oh… do you have a tux?"

"A tux?" he questioned, serving himself some breakfast. "No. Why?"

Leah reached over and pat him on the hand. "Because my parents' event is black tie only."

Tony grinned at her, broadly, "Oh, then it's a good thing that I look dashing in a tux."

* * *

Cigar smoke greeted her when she stepped into her office that morning. "Mister Secretary, can I do something for you?" Jenny inquired shutting the door behind her. "Not often that you stop by so early in the morning."

Davenport put his cigar out and stood. "I have several meetings today but needed to speak to you first. It's been brought to my attention that you haven't stopped your little operation regarding Rene Benoit. I thought I left you clear instructions, Jenny?"

"You did but I felt that it was in the best interest…"

"In the best interest of who? You?"

Jenny's jaw tightened. She shrugged out of her coat and tossed it on the nearby sofa. "Rene Benoit deals with people that target the Navy."

Davenport would have to agree, but Benoit was in the CIA's pocket. It wasn't their place to step on the CIA's toes. "Listen, Jenny, I know all about your father and how you feel that he was murdered. It's hard sometimes to come to terms with some hard truths about our parents. Your father took the bribe and was found out and killed himself. Benoit didn't kill him, not directly. If you keep this game up Agent DiNozzo and Miss Dawson could very well end up dead. If that happens, Jenny, you would lose your job… be tried for accessory to murder. Is that what you really want?"

She clenched her fists. She knew that Tony dating Leah was going to come back to haunt her. _If only he'd listened to me and ended that relationship before it began… _Jenny went to her desk, turning her back on Davenport. "I suspect that Agent Gibbs has spoken to you."

"What makes you think it was Gibbs and not DiNozzo?"

"DiNozzo is too busy trying to keep his nose clean in all of this."

"Jethro is just concerned for the safety of his agent, Jenny. Quite frankly I am too."

Jenny turned and gave him a coy smile. "You have nothing to worry about, Mister Secretary. Agent DiNozzo's safety is my top concern as well."

Davenport wasn't fully buying it. Gibbs had expressed his concerns that Jenny didn't seem to care that Rene's men had beaten up DiNozzo. "I hope so, Jenny. For your sake. If this operation doesn't stop and stop soon—I'm going to be forced to demote you, perhaps remove you from the agency completely. That's a lot of paperwork I'd rather not have to file, so please, make the smart decision here and leave Benoit to the CIA."

She watched as left and didn't answer him. Jenny had no intentions of backing off now, not when they had so much information on Benoit. She was just going to have to make sure that Gibbs and Davenport were not aware that she was still running the operation.

* * *

McGee looked up from eating his lunch at his desk to see Tony stride into the bullpen with a garment bag. "Ah, you going undercover?" he asked, eyes flashing towards Ziva.

Tony shook his head. "No. I have a fancy party to attend tonight."

"How fancy?" Ziva asked, her curiosity peaked.

"Black tie."

"You have to wear a black tie?"

McGee chuckled, silently. "Black tie means tuxedos for the men and gowns for the women, Ziva."

Ziva's mouth formed a perfect _"o" _shape and she went back to typing for a moment before she asked. "Who is having this black tie party, Tony?"

Tony looked up from hanging the garment back up behind his desk and looked her straight in the eye. "No one."

"Please, you wouldn't be going to a party like this just for _no one,_" McGee pointed out, finishing up his lunch. "What's her name?"

"Who says a woman is involved?" Tony inquired, trying to desperately get out of answering their questions.

McGee looked at him, incredulously. "Because, there's always a woman involved. Are you going with the mystery girlfriend that you refuse to tell us about or let us meet?" At the mention of the girlfriend, McGee heard Ziva try to disguise a snort.

Tony didn't miss it either and tossed a glare her way. "Okay, if you insist on knowing—yes, I'm going with my _mystery _girlfriend to a black tie charity event that her parents are hosting, alright? Are you both happy now?"

Ziva's nostrils flared slightly. _You had your chance you know, _a voice in the back of her head chided her, _last year, after Monica dumped him. He was willing… _Well, what did it matter now? She had not been willing to give him anything else but a nice dinner out, to cheer him up. She thought there would be time later to do all the other stuff… it wasn't like Tony had shown any interest in being in a committed relationship. She just told herself that he had to realize it was worth it when he found the right woman. _And you are angry that you apparently, are not the right woman. _Maybe this mystery girlfriend really wasn't the right woman… just a step he had to take to get to her…

"Where is Special Agent Gibbs?" Jenny's harsh voice cut through Ziva's musing. "I've been trying to reach him all day."

"Ah, I think he went out for coffee, ma'am," Tony replied, noticing the dark look in her eyes. "Something…something I can help you with?"

Jenny saw the garment bag and gestured towards it. "Traveling?"

Tony shook his head. "Fancy dinner date."

Her eyes filled with possibilities and she requested that he join her in her office for a moment. Tony glanced at his partners once before following behind the Director. Upstairs she requested that he close the door and he did so. "Is your fancy dinner date the Dawsons' charity ball?" she questioned, turning to look at him.

"Director, please do not ask me to do anymore undercover work," Tony said, in an almost demanding tone. "I don't care about my safety but you're asking me to put the safety of someone that I care about on the line."

"And what are you going to do, Tony, when La Grenouille is there and recognizes you?" Jenny questioned, her green eyes narrowing in on him, making him feel like she was about to devour him—and not in the good way.

"He already knows that I'm dating Leah, I would think he'd expect me to be there," Tony responded. "If it makes him feel any better I'll let him sweep me for bugs and take my weapon for the evening… since I won't be wearing any…"

"You'll have a wire if I say you will."

"Only if you provide me back-up, in the form of McGee and Gibbs in a van outside listening."

Jenny stiffened. "This operation remains between us. And I already told you, I'm you're back-up. Do you not trust me, Tony?"

Tony didn't get to answer, the door flew open and Gibbs stepped in, glaring hotly at Jenny. "DiNozzo," he snapped, "why don't you go take a coffee break?"

Gibbs waited until his senior field agent was gone and then closed the door. He shifted his glare towards Jenny. "Thought your little chat with Davenport this morning would have had you wise up, Jen. What part of backing off don't you get?"

"La Grenouille is a threat to the Navy," Jenny spat, hatefully.

"Davenport recognizes this but the CIA has jurisdiction," Gibbs retorted.

"Do we have a problem here, Special Agent Gibbs?" Jenny asked, curtly.

"Damn straight we have a problem, Director!" Gibbs yelled, crossing the room and getting nose to nose with her. "You're using my agent as bait!"

Jenny didn't back down, her pulse quickening and reminding her that it been weeks since she had sought any kind of release from him. She wasn't sure if he'd be willing to give it right now, but then again usually they were both charged with anger when they had sex. She licked her lips. "Unless you came up here for another reason," she whispered, "I think we're done here, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs clenched his fists. He felt his body starting to respond to her, like it usually did when he was this angry at her. He wasn't sure what it was about angry, rough sex with her… but he had to get out of that office before it happened. Allowing it to happen would be a betrayal of Tony. His agent needed his support through this, needed him to have his back and if he was willing to cave to Jenny's sexual advances every time he fought with her about protecting Tony… well… she would use that to her advantage. Growling slightly, Gibbs turned on his heel. He was just going to have to find another woman to satisfy his needs.


	27. Clarity

**Warnings:** Spoilers for Season 4

**A/N: **Here is more! With the introduction of Trent Kort! Hope you enjoy and please feel free to leave me feedback because it really does make me better as a writer :)

**None- **_I can totally see Jenny blackmailing Tony by threatening anyone on his team, not just McGee._

**Guest-** _Thank you :)_

**E- **_It's about to get even more complicated ;)_

* * *

Not surprisingly, Jenny made him late to the charity ball. Tony hadn't even met Leah's parents yet and already things were off to a bad start. Of course, he was sure that the Director wanted it that way—to derail his relationship with Leah—it was obvious she blamed _him _for the operation crumbling.

Fixing a pair of cuff links he'd had since he was a teenager, Tony entered the large home, greeted by a butler to take his coat and a sweeping staircase that led upstairs to the living area where the party was taking place. He texted Leah that he had arrived and started up the stairs, only to be met at the top by the two beefy men that had beaten him up two weeks ago and a slender, bald man, smoking a cigarette. "Gentlemen," Tony greeted, casually. "Are you here to make sure I behave?"

One of the goons cracked his knuckles, but it was the bald man that spoke, in an English accent. "You are either very brave or very stupid, Agent DiNozzo, for showing up at this party, knowing very well that Mr. Benoit will be here."

Tony grinned, brashly. "Hate to disappoint you… I'm not here for your boss."

"Yes," the Englishman said, putting out his cigarette and discarding the ashes in a nearby ashtray. "Mr. Benoit is aware of the reason why you are here, it has been obvious to him for a while now why you are still here. You're here for the girl."

"And, if you'll excuse me, gentlemen, she's waiting for me," Tony said, trying to slide past the two goons and the one Englishman. The two goons pushed him back. Tony raised his hands slightly. "Listen, I'm not looking for trouble. You want to search me, go ahead. I'm not wearing a bug and I'm pretty sure you're carrying bigger guns than I am…" He was suddenly searched, rather roughly, but the goons came up empty. "See, unarmed and not wired. Can I go now?"

There were standing there in a silent stand off, sizing each other up, when Leah appeared in the hall, smiling at first until she saw who had Tony cornered on the stairs. Her face portrayed fear and anger and her blue eyes narrowed in on the Englishman. "Let him go Kort!" she shouted, her small hand clamping down on the Englishman's arm and yanking him back. "Your boss doesn't have any say who comes into this party!"

Kort easily tossed her off of him with a backhand and was turning on her when Tony caught him with a right hook. Kort's lip split open and he raised his fingers to the wound, feeling the blood. His eyes turned heavily on Tony and the two massive men moved in…

"Is there a problem here, gentlemen?" a voice questioned.

"No, Mr. Dawson," Kort said, brightly. He gestured for the two goons to back off. "Your daughter was just clearing up that this is her date."

John could tell that there was some kind of problem. Leah's lip was slightly swollen and Kort had a busted one. Deciding to keep things cordial, he shifted his drink to his left hand and extended his right hand out towards Tony. "Finally, we meet Professor."

Tony shook the lawyer's hand, even if his was still stinging from punching Kort. "Your daughter has told me a lot about you, sir. Sorry I'm late, not the best way to be starting off making first impressions when I meet the parents."

He chuckled and John led them back into the house towards the guests. "Leah's mother was never on time for anything when we were dating, Professor. We've been married almost forty years, I'd say that it worked out for us."

Leah's fingers curled around her boyfriends and she leaned slightly against him. Guests stopped to greet her father and they were introduced, but her father's casual attitude and the fact that he didn't seem to put together that something had happened in the front hall… sent warning bells off in her head. Somehow… her father knew that Tony wasn't a professor… and she could guarantee that it was Rene that had told him.

Tony clung to her hand, his shoulders still stiff from his confrontation with Kort and the goons before even stepping foot into the party. His eyes caught sight of Benoit with his wife, Jeanne, and her fiancé. He was going to need lots of drinks to get through this…

"Let me get you a drink, Professor," John offered, as if he had read Tony's mind. "Scotch on the rocks okay?"

"Perfect," Tony said with a tight smile.

As he walked away Leah pulled him behind a large Christmas decoration and took his face between her hands, kissing him. When she pulled away he could see that she was holding back some tears. "Are you okay?" she demanded.

Tony ran his thumb along her jawline. "Fine. More importantly… are you okay?"

Leah pressed her lips to his tenderly. "Yes. My knight in shining armor…"

"Or a tux in this case."

"You were right—you look pretty dashing."

He smiled at her, running his hands up her bare arms. "You look pretty amazing yourself," he told her, admiring the way her body fit into the ice blue ball gown.

She returned the smile, brushed her lips across his in a feather like kiss. "Tony… there's something I need to tell you… my father…"

"Ah, you're hiding on us," John's voice interrupted before Leah could tell Tony that her father knew his true identity. He held a drink out to Tony. "Here you go, son."

"Thank you sir," Tony said, politely, he noticed the woman that came with John. He tossed her his best, most charming smile as he took her hand and gave it a chaste kiss. "Ah, I see beautiful women run in the family."

"You said he was charming," Katherine Dawson said with a smile. "But you didn't say he was this handsome, Leah."

John raised his chin and settled his eyes on his daughter. "She actually hasn't told us a lot about you, Professor. I'm sure if she had her wish we would never even know that you were dating her."

Tony could feel the tension between Leah and her father; he shifted his gaze on her just as her mother whisked her away to introduce to someone. He was left standing there, alone with John, sipping his drink. _Tony, there's something I need to tell you… _he was sure that she was trying to tell him something important before her father interrupted them. Perhaps… tell him that her father was aware of his real identity. He looked across the room at Benoit. He wouldn't put it past the man to have snitched on him to John Dawson.

Leah kept looking over her shoulder while her mother talked with a regal looking couple, nervously checking on him. Tony caught her eye and gave her a reassuring smile that he was okay, that he could handle himself.

"She worries about you," John pointed out breaking the silence. "For months I thought you hadn't told her the truth."

"And what truth would that be?" Tony asked, although he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

"Oh, I think we can drop the games since my wife isn't here, Agent DiNozzo," John said with a smile.

Tony clutched his glass but kept his composure. "Very well," he said, "if you're concerned that I'm lying to Leah… she knows. I told her months ago."

John studied him. "And… your intentions, Agent DiNozzo?"

"My intentions?"

"Do you love my daughter?"

Tony didn't hesitate. He caught Leah's eye one more time, she smiled, sweetly, and sighed, "Yes. I love her."

John seemed surprised by this. It didn't add up to what Rene had told him—that the federal agent was just using his daughter to investigate Rene's business dealings. On some level the lawyer was aware that what Rene did was illegal, but even criminals needed lawyers. He glanced over in the direction of his old associate, laughing, chatting with his family but his eyes always trained on Tony. The confrontation with Kort in the foyer made sense now. After all these years of keeping his family out of his less than clean dealings with his clients, somehow… Leah had found herself in the middle of all this. "My wife and I… we worry for her safety… living on her own in this city. It's not entirely safe but we cannot convince her to come home to Massachusetts."

He set his jaw, looked the lawyer straight in the eye before answering. "Mr. Dawson, I can assure you that Leah's safety is my upmost concern," Tony said, firmly. And it was the truth, her safety was his biggest concern, it was the reason he was defying Jenny and not wearing a wire.

"Did you get her landlord to change that ancient lock on her door yet?" John asked, seriously.

"Leah insists that it's fine," Tony replied. "I've already told her I'm changing it myself if she doesn't get the landlord to do it."

John chuckled. That sounded like his daughter. The youngest of five, she had been fiercely independent since her first breath. John finished the rest of his drink and handed his glass to a passing waiter. "It's nice to know that my daughter has finally found someone to look out for her. Between you and me, Anthony, most of the sons of my colleagues are more concerned for their money than the welfare of their women."

Tony thought back to the story that Leah had told him about Jeanne's fiancé, Mark. He balled his free hand up into a fist at his side just as Leah came back over, accusing her father of hogging her boyfriend. John laughed and let them be, Tony giving his drink to a nearby waiter and taking his girl out onto the dance floor.

Leah looked at him, rather surprised. "You know how to dance?"

"I'm full of surprises, Miss Dawson."

"Surprises like this are sexy, you now, Agent DiNozzo."

At the edge of the dance floor he placed his free hand on her waist and pulled her towards him. "We're gonna have to get a little closer," Tony purred, securing Leah tightly against him.

Her fingers entwined with his as they moved towards the middle of the dance floor. "I like being close to you," Leah whispered, with a smile.

Tony smiled down at her, his eyes locking with hers. They were a beautiful shade of blue, clear and lively and he felt all the stress melting away being with her. Looking into her eyes, something resonated with him. He had not hesitated to tell her father that he loved her, he should have mentioned that he would do anything for her… if Jenny wasn't going to back off this operation he had no other choice—he had to leave NCIS, he had to leave before Rene Benoit killed him or worse yet, killed Leah.

* * *

"He wasn't wearing a wire, and he wasn't carrying his weapon," Kort told Rene at the end of the evening, when things were starting to settle down, and the guests were beginning to leave for the night. "Foolish."

"Agent DiNozzo was trying to uphold the appearance of being a professor, Mr. Kort," Rene pointed out while they waited outside for his limo. "Katherine Dawson and her parents believe him to be nothing more than a teacher."

Kort watched as the limo pulled up, as the driver got out and opened the door for Rene. He rubbed his hands, trying to keep them warm in the harsh cold of winter in Washington. "What do you want to do, Mr. Benoit?"

Rene paused before climbing into his limo. "Keep your eyes on him. He was smart not to wear a wire or bring a weapon tonight or he might have found himself in a rather unpleasant situation. It seems that perhaps he's heading my warnings."

"And what about Jenny Shepard?"

"Maybe it's time that you went and had a little chat with her."

Kort scoffed. From what he heard through the grapevine, Jenny Shepard was a loose cannon right now—risking the life of her agent and the life of an innocent woman all to get what she perceived as revenge. "Her track record suggests that she isn't going to listen to me. I have it on good authority that Philip Davenport has gone to speak to her personally and she still isn't listening."

Rene smiled and got into the limo. "Then perhaps, Mr. Kort, she needs a true demonstration of what can happen to her agent and Leah if she doesn't back off. But after the holidays… I would not want to ruin anyone's Christmas."


	28. Have Your Back

**Warnings:** Slight spoilers for "Suspicion" and "Blowback"

**A/N:** This is kind of a filler chapter, promise more is coming :)

* * *

Trent Kort wasn't surprised when he was asked to meet with the Deputy Director Andrew Wilkins of the CIA, but he was surprised that John Dawson was at the meeting. "Mr. Dawson, I wasn't expecting to see you here, sir."

John narrowed his eyes on the Englishman. "No, I suppose you weren't. You didn't hide your affiliation with the CIA very well, at least not from me Kort. And you most likely forget that I have many connections here in D.C. I will not bother to ask if Rene is aware that you're a spy, but your behavior the other night towards my daughter and her boyfriend concern me."

"Director," Kort said, eyeing Wilkins, "I was only operating as my cover would have operated in that kind of situation."

"NCIS isn't pulling Agent DiNozzo out," Wilkins surmised. "No matter how many threats are made against DiNozzo... it seems that they're in this until the bitter end."

Kort frowned, slightly seething upon hearing the man's name. "Agent DiNozzo should tell Jennifer Shepard to bug off and be done with this. If this continues, my cover is going to be blown. Mr. Benoit will surely catch on that the CIA is double crossing him. And eighteen months of undercover work will be shot to hell."

John didn't care at this point what the hell was going on with Rene, his dealings, and what that had to do with the CIA, he just wanted to make sure that Leah didn't get caught in the crossfire—and the way things were going now, he was pretty sure that was how it was going to end up. "I could pull the plug on your whole operation, Kort. Rene is aware of my connections in the CIA, he's aware of my connections in the FBI as well… and I could casually let it slip when we're having lunch one afternoon to discuss a deal that you work for the CIA and that they are using the information that he brings them, against him, so they can one day arrest him."

Wilkins added," I don't know what Benoit has asked you when it comes to Leah Dawson… we want to make it perfectly clear that her life is not in any danger. She has had the misfortune of being dragged into all this by Jenny Shepard, Agent DiNozzo and Rene Benoit. Let's hope it doesn't end badly for her, okay?"

"The girl will not be harmed," Kort snapped. "Is that what you want me to say?"

"I don't want you to just say it," Wilkins snapped, "I want you to follow through on it. Can you imagine the backlash if she's killed and the CIA is found out to be involved?"

"Sadly, I can't make any promises," Kort said, with a slight shrug of his shoulders, "Hopefully, if she plays her cards right, she will not be harmed, Mr. Dawson."

John didn't seem satisfied with that answer, but knew it was the best one that he was possibly going to get. "And Agent DiNozzo?"

Kort scowled. "Agent DiNozzo is a thorn in the CIA's side right now. If he continues to threaten this operation… he'll have to be handled. Whether it's by me, the CIA, or Rene Benoit."

Wilkins looked at John, who said nothing. The lawyer was deeply worried about Kort's rash, roguish behavior. What would hurting Tony really accomplish for him? John had not seen Tony try to do anything to Rene the night of the party, and if his vibes were right about the NCIS agent—Tony was backing off as much as he possible could to protect his daughter. It became clear to John then, that unless Tony broke up with Leah, somehow… his daughter was still going to get hurt by all this. His coming here to the CIA had changed nothing.

* * *

Leah felt anxious, even if the security guard in the front lobby of NCIS was friendly. If Tony knew she was here, well… things were going to come to a head when he found out, eventually. But since the charity ball four weeks ago this had been nagging at her. Things were not getting better—Kort would pop up at the most unexpected times and remind Tony what would happen to him if he didn't back off. They never got physical with Tony, but the threat was always the same.

She took her purse from the container after stepping through the metal and the guard informed her that an agent would come down to escort her up to Director Shepard's office. She knew that it wouldn't be Tony or his team—they were off in some backwater town that he had labeled " the boondocks" to investigate a murder; he had called her that morning to let her know that he would be gone for a while.

Tony being out of town was the perfect opportunity for Leah to head to NCIS to give Jenny Shepard a piece of her mind. If, that is, she could hold herself together.

Jenny Shepard didn't look all that intimidating. She was a slender woman, with short-cropped red hair and a wonderful taste in business fashion. But when her eyes fell on Leah, the younger woman felt ice run through her veins. "Agent Smith, you can wait outside. This shouldn't take long," the Director instructed the agent that had escorted Leah up to her office. She waited until the agent was gone and the door was closed. "What can I do for you, Miss Dawson?"

"You're putting Tony's life at risk. Rene's men are stalking him, just waiting for him to mess up in their eyes and take him out," Leah stammered, feeling her heart beating wildly against her chest. "If you don't pull him out of this operation now—Rene will kill him."

"I appreciate your concern, Miss Dawson, for my agent," Jenny said, curtly. "But I think I know more about running an undercover operation than you do."

Leah set her jaw and clutched her purse. "Really? From where I'm standing you're breaking all sorts of protocol by having Tony do all these secret missions for you without back up. Not to mention, Tony was made months ago and you haven't pulled him."

Jenny gripped the edge of her desk. "I do not go into your office and tell you how to do your job, Miss Dawson. I'd appreciate it if you'd leave now."

"I'm not telling you how to do your job, Director Shepard. I just… I just want Tony safe."

"Agent DiNozzo's job is dangerous by nature."

"And you're not making it any easier by putting him out there like this!" Leah snapped, fearful that Jenny was not going to listen.

"_Director," _Cynthia's voice said over the intercom, _"Senator Riley is on the phone for you." _

Jenny pressed the button on her phone and told Cynthia that she'd take it in a moment and to send Agent Smith back in to escort Leah out of the building. She noticed the younger woman's lip tremble slightly. "You must really love Tony, to show up here, and mock me like this."

Leah bit back her tears. "I love him very much, Director Shepard. I don't know what happened to you, or who broke your heart for you to toss love aside so easily."

Agent Smith stepped inside the office then and Leah quietly thanked Jenny for her time and followed the agent out. She knew that things were not going to get better the long that Tony stayed at NCIS… in fact, Leah was pretty sure that they were just going to get worse—and that frightened her, not just for herself, but for Tony too.

* * *

He had been waiting for the other shoe to drop for a while now, but in the form of Trent Kort and Rene Benoit's men to show up, drag him off and put a bullet in his brain. Tony was not expecting it in the form of one thoroughly pissed off Jenny Shepard.

Tony had barely been back to NCIS from the sticks when Jenny had called him into her office. He grumbled, underneath his breath as he climbed the stairs to her office. He had been hoping to get away from for the night before she asked him to do any _errands _for her. It was true that he had managed to keep his nose clean, stay out of Benoit's way for the last couple of months, and it was also true that he'd been feeding some lies to Jenny to appease her… but he figure that it was only going to last so long.

Jenny stood, posture stiff, eyes narrowed on him. "Close the door, Tony."

He gently shut it and turned to face her. "Is there a problem, Director?"

"I had an interesting visitor today," Jenny informed him.

"Interesting… in what way?" Tony inquired, confused as to what this had to do with him.

Jenny moved towards her shelf where she kept her liquor. She poured herself a tumbler of bourbon and then went back to her desk. "Miss Dawson."

Tony froze. What the hell had Leah been doing at NCIS? He thought he had made it clear to her that she shouldn't come here… "If you're wondering if I asked her to stop by… the answer is _no._"

She shook her head and sipped her drink. "Oh, that's not what I'm wondering at all. What I'm wondering is… how does she know you work here?"

He gave her a firm look. "You told me to fix things with her. The only way to fix things—was to tell her the truth. That I was a federal agent, otherwise she would have walked away and you'd be back to square one on your little revenge quest."

"You're two strikes away from being shipped overseas," Jenny threatened.

"Fine. At least then Rene Benoit won't be after me," Tony snapped.

"Telling Leah Dawson _everything _has put her severely at risk!" Jenny accused him.

"Not pulling me from this operation has put her severely at risk. Benoit is not afraid to use her against me, Jenny," Tony replied.

Jenny downed the rest of her drink. That woman had completely, utterly destroyed her operation and Tony… he had gone along with Leah, putting the young woman a head of his job. "If you had listened to me and broke things off with her in the first place…"

Tony glared at her. "We wouldn't be in any different position, Jenny. Jeanne Benoit was not going to be romanced by me, she's quite content with her fiancé, who by the way I had the pleasure of meeting—is an arrogant son of a bitch. Getting close to the Dawsons was my best bet. How the hell was I supposed to know that the CIA was using Benoit and would make me? Regardless of _who _I ended up with, Jenny… the CIA was going to squeal on me to keep their operation in tact, to protect their asset."

She was getting more agitated by the second the more he used rational thought. "End it."

He looked at her, surprised. "What?"

"End the relationship."

"I end that relationship…"

"We have other ways of getting Benoit!"

Tony set his jaw. She wasn't asking him to end because she was fearing for the safety of his life… she was asking him to end to save her operation, to still maintain her chance at getting revenge. "I'm not you, Jenny. I can't just write a _Dear John _letter and walk away forever."

Jenny absorbed the low blow, even if it was deserved. "You fell in love with her."

"So what if I did?"

"This was an undercover assignment! You're not supposed to fall in love with your mark!"

"Am I free to go, Director?" Tony snapped, not feeling like standing here any longer and taking her abuse. "Apparently I have a relationship to end." And without another word, he stormed out of the office, slamming the door shut behind him. He thought about the resignation letter still tucked away in his backpack. It was looking like that letters was going to end up on her desk more and more as the days wore on.

* * *

"What the hell were you thinking?" Tony shouted at her as he stormed into her apartment that night. "Going to see my boss!"

"I was thinking about you!" Leah shouted back, seeing the anger flash in his eyes. "She's going to get you killed!"

Tony glared at her. After having it out with Jenny over telling Leah his true identity, Tony was no mood to have a go with Leah but it was apparent that they were going to anyways. "Listen, I appreciate that you have my back, but let's face it, you just made it worse for me."

Leah returned his heated glare. "Worse? I tried to defend you!"

"Why! Why meddle in all this Leah? I got it under control!"

"Why? Because I love you, you idiot!"

Silence fell between them. It was the first time that either one of them had said to each other. Sure, Tony had admitted to himself, to Leah's father that he loved her, but he had never actually said it to her. And yes, she had told Jenny that very morning that she loved Tony but it was the first time she had uttered it to him. "You love me?" he repeated, softly, his heart beating wildly.

Leah sheepishly looked at her feet, bare on the hardwood floor of her apartment. "Yes," she whispered, "Yes, I love you."

Tony moved closer to her, stopping within inches of her. His body brushed against her and he took her face between his hands, forcing her to look at him. "I love you, Leah," he said, seconds before capturing her lips in a hungry kiss.

Clothing was quickly shed as they fell to the sofa in a mass of tangled limbs, only breaking their kisses to breathe. Tony had never wanted her more than he did in that moment—she loved him. She wanted to be with him in every aspect of the word… she wanted a life with him. He almost wished he had been in Jenny's office today to see Leah stick up for him, to protect him like he was trying to desperately protect her.

He made love to her passionately, not holding a thing back because he now knew he had her heart.

It had been so long since he had a woman's heart, but truthfully he was never sure he had Wendy's. But he had Leah, he had her in every sense of the word. And it thrilled him, filled him with so much love and warmth he thought he could burst.

She appreciated his no holding back, she loved him even more for it. For a few moments everything else slipped away and it was just them, on her sofa, showing each other just how much they loved one another and then lying there in complete bliss as they came down from their high.

"Tony," she breathed into his ear.

"Yes?" he sighed, running his fingers through her damp hair.

"Do you think you can keep showing me how much you love me in my bedroom?"

Tony laughed and gently picked her up, her legs wrapping around his waist as her mouth sought his in a deep kiss. He continued to kiss while he carried her into the bedroom and laid her down onto her bed. He joined her, running his hands along her body and rejoicing in the fact that this beautiful woman was _his. _

* * *

Gibbs heard his phone ringing. After two weeks of rough cases, one sending his team to the hills and another that had almost unleashed mass terror onto the city, he had been hoping for a quiet weekend where he could spend it with Hollis Mann. Forcing his eyes open, he untangled his limbs from around Hollis and moved to get the offensive piece of technology. He was even more annoyed when he saw that it was Jenny's name that flashed across the screen. "Jen," he growled. "What do you want this early?"

"_Eli David just passed information off to me that Goliath is in Washington," _Jenny reported, not sounding at all upset that she woke him. "_SecNav has given me permission to pick him up. He isn't going to talk unless we rattle him a bit." _

"Fine, Jen. What do you want me to do to rattle him?" Gibbs asked, noticing that Hollis was stirring. He moved his conversation out into her hall. "Arms dealers like him don't just talk unless we offer him something."

"_Then just make sure you make it clear to him that he has no other choice but to give up information," _Jenny snapped before hanging up.

Gibbs glared down at his cell phone. _How the hell am I supposed to do that? _He thought as he snapped the phone shut. If he didn't know any better this was her payback for him taking up a relationship with Hollis Mann. At least Hollis wasn't using him simply for sex. She seemed to actually care about him. If he tried hard enough maybe, just maybe he could play his cards right and not end up alone for the rest of his life.

Sighing, he got dressed, left a note for Hollis stating that he had to go to work, and left her place, silently. In a few short hours a single operation was going to change the dynamics of his team quite possibly forever.


	29. Resignation

**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Blowback", "Bury Your Dead"

**A/N:** Happy Fourth of July weekend to my American readers :) Celebrate our independence but please celebrate safely! As you'll see this chapter has gone completely AU, I'm not following the whole arc anymore. I have used some of the plots from "Bury Your Dead", some dialog belongs to that episode. Please let me know what you think, I'm a bit nervous about this chapter :/.

* * *

Tony knew this was going to happen. Harmless information passed onto them by Eli David had turned into a tangled web where Rene Benoit was the spider stalking. And there was no way talking Jenny out of this one—she _had _reasons to go after Benoit now—he was about to buy Aries and bring down the entire U.S Navy.

He had kept himself so far out of everything since Christmas. Tony knew that Kort was keeping his eyes on him. Why the right hand man of Benoit had not acted yet was beyond him. He also sensed being watched whenever he was out with Leah, but now, there was absolutely nothing he could do to stay clear of this. The SecNav himself had thrown him back into the middle of it all and this time with a sanctioned operation, however unintentional it might have been on Davenport's part. Rene Benoit was going to find out that NCIS was involved at some point in that ridiculous sting operation that Jenny had set up, sending Ducky undercover. And at some point he was going to come after Tony, guns blazing.

Not only was that one of the most boneheaded moves that Tony had seen Jenny make… Gibbs had gone right along with it. Okay, so Gibbs had been the one to perhaps suggest that McGee be wired into Ducky that way he could give their medical examiner all the techno advise that Charles Harrow would have know… but still… _Ducky! _

Given the fact that they had gone over the border, into Canada without permission, it was probably better that they did not end up arresting Benoit. The operation had very nearly, almost blown up in their face.

_He knew my name Jethro! _Ducky had referred to Kort, astonished.

_He's CIA, _Gibbs had answered, casually.

CIA! Trent Kort was the bastard that had ratted him out to Benoit, the one responsible for putting the woman that Tony loved in harm's way… putting Tony himself in harm's way. If Tony could hunt the man down and punch him in his smug face again—he would. Stepping into the alcove at NCIS he pulled his cell phone out and texted Leah one word—_pack. _

It was time. He'd pussyfooted around this issue long enough. Still clad in his black jeans and sweater from the operation, Tony pulled a small, white envelope from his pocket and headed up the stairs to Jenny's office. She had left as soon as they had arrived back at NCIS. Tony was pretty sure he was the only one on the team that was still in the building.

Gliding into Jenny's office unnoticed by anyone, Tony placed the envelope, along with his badge and weapon onto her desk. In a span of sixty seconds Tony had cut all ties with NCIS, permanently.

* * *

"Tony, I don't understand, what's going on?" Leah asked when he showed up at her apartment just after dawn. "Why did I have to pack?"

"We're getting out of D.C," Tony told her, firmly. He had gone back to his own apartment and grabbed a few essential items—and his personal gun—changed, and driven over to her apartment quickly. "I'll explain more once we're out of the city and safe."

Her eyes filled with fear, uncertainty. Since the holidays their lives had been quiet, it seemed that whatever Director Shepard had Tony doing had ceased and Rene was leaving them alone. Now, she saw the determination and terror in Tony's eyes and she knew that they had only been granted a reprieve. "My bag's ready," she whispered, pointing towards the quilted Vera Bradley duffel on the sofa. "Where are we going?"

Tony crossed the room and took her into his arms, holding her tightly. He kissed her temple and whispered in her ear, "I'm going to protect you Leah, alright? Trust me."

Leah closed her eyes and buried her face against his shoulder. She trusted him. She trusted him more than anyone else in her life. And yes, she was absolutely terrified that this was happening but he loved her, she loved him… they'd survive together. "I know you'll protect me. I trust you, Tony."

He pulled away from her and grabbed her duffel bag, then he took her by the hand. They left the apartment together, Leah shutting it up and locking the door tightly before they traveled down the stairs. His car was running and waiting for them. He wanted to make a quick get away before Benoit, Gibbs or even Jenny found him. Tony went to open the door of his Mustang and threw Leah's duffel bag and her purse into the backseat with his things. He'd just put the seat back for her when a black limo pulled up, blocking them.

Heart pounding, Tony stood, straightening his tall frame and reached for Leah's hand as Rene emerged from the limo. "Agent DiNozzo," he said, smiling, "Are you and Leah going some where?"

"Romantic weekend get away, for Valentine's Day," Tony answered, taking up a protective stance in front of Leah. "Can we do something for you, Mr. Benoit?"

"Please, let us get out of the cold. Come join me in my limo so we can talk," Rene said, gesturing towards his black limo.

"Leah and I really should be going. We have a long drive," Tony answered.

Rene stepped closer to them. "It was not a suggestion, Agent DiNozzo. Please, get into the limo so we can discuss your agency's latest mishap."

Tony tightened his grip on Leah's hand. If they got into that limo there was no way of knowing if they were going to get out of the limo alive. "My car's parked in a tow zone and running."

"One of my men will drive it," Rene said, gesturing for one of his bodyguards to get into the Mustang.

"You seem to have a full party in your limo," Tony pointed out, noticing that some of Rene's associates were with him. "Doesn't seem like Leah and I will fit."

Rene asked one of his associates, a female to get out of the car and join his man in the Mustang with Tony. "I believe we will all fit now, Agent DiNozzo," Rene said, sternly. "I suggest that we stop playing this game and that you and Leah get into the car." He did not wait for them and get into the limo.

Tony knew he had run out of options at this point. Quietly he told Leah to get into the limo and he slowly followed behind her. The door was slammed shut and soon Rene had requested that the driver take them to some restaurant for brunch. Tony wasn't stupid—he knew that Leah and himself were not seeing brunch. He curled his arm around her waist, pulled her closer to him and glared at the arms dealer. "What do you want from me, Rene?"

He smiled and pulled out a cigar. "Your weapon, Agent DiNozzo," he requested before lighting the cigar up.

Reluctantly Tony handed the gun over to one of Rene's associates. "Happy?"

Chuckling, Rene blew a puff of smoke into the air. "I admire your defiance, Agent DiNozzo… faced with the possibility of your death."

"Please, Rene," Leah whimpered, tears gathering in her eyes. "Don't do this. We promise, we're leaving D.C. You'll never see us again."

"And your parents, Leah? Do you honestly think they are just going to let you disappear without a trace?"

"No. But you don't have to hurt us. You don't have to hurt them."

Tony knew that her pleas were falling on deaf ears. They were a liability to Rene, two people that could blow the whistle on him and end his career forever. He felt his heart sinking into his stomach. If only he had run sooner, if only he had resigned from NCIS when this whole thing had started to fall to pieces. "When they draw your blood is it blue?" he asked, hotly, "Since you've got ice running through your veins. Not many men would murder their friends' daughter so casually."

Rene chuckled again and took another drag from his cigar. "You know, I rather like you Agent DiNozzo. I wish the circumstances were different," he said, honestly.

Leah turned her teary gaze towards Tony. He watched as one tear made a path down her cheek. There was no accusation in her eyes; she was not putting blame of this onto him. Tony kissed the tears way and buried his nose into her hair, while he reached his hand into his pocket and hit speed dial on his phone. He counted to ten, slowly in his head, and hung up. He turned back towards Rene, and swallowed hard. "Come on, I'm the one that you really want here—not her. Pull the limo over, let her go."

"How can I know for certain that she won't run to the FBI or NCIS or Metro?" Rene asked him, honestly.

"Because that will be part of the deal for letting her go," Tony replied, hitting the call button once again and immediately hanging up. "That she stays quiet."

"Are you willing to die for her?"

"Yes."

Rene smiled at this, put his cigar out in a nearby ashtray. "I do not think there will be a need for that," he said. He told his driver in French to pull the limo over. "I will let you go, give your car back…but if you do not want to end up dead—for her—I suggest that you two do run away, never to return to Washington."

* * *

Gibbs had come off the elevator raging like a tornado. Tony was in trouble. He knew it by the amount of times that Tony had called him and hung up. He had done that before, when he was in trouble and undercover with Jeffery White. _Damn it! Why didn't I check in with him last night when we got back? _"McGee! MTAC NOW!"

McGee jumped up from his desk and followed Gibbs, at a fast pace up the stairs. "Boss? What's going on?" he asked, glancing behind him at Ziva who had also flown up from her seat and followed the pair of agents.

"Tony's in trouble," Gibbs hissed, leaning forward to use the eye scanner to open MTAC. He stalked in, McGee and Ziva behind him. "Tim, track Tony's cell."

"On it boss," McGee said, rushing to the controls and calling up Tony's cell. His identification flashed across the screen, with his name and address. "Looks like he's on the move boss, maybe he's driving."

Gibbs swallowed the nervous butterflies in his stomach. "Can you track his car, Tim?"

McGee nodded his head. "Yeah, I can hack into traffic cameras and see if we can follow it that way. Tony has a distinct car since it's a 1969 Mustang, should be easy to spot, boss." He quickly got the traffic cameras up on the big screen and immediately they saw the Mustang driving down a busy main street. It didn't seem like Tony was driving like he was in distress but if Gibbs thought it was in trouble…

Ziva asked the question that McGee was thinking, "How do you know Tony is in trouble? Just because he is late…"

"Because, he's called me, four times, and hung up."

"I do not understand."

"When Tony was undercover, on the run with Jeffery White, he did the same thing so we could find him," McGee supplied.

Gibbs rocked back, nervously on the balls of his feet. He wasn't sure what was going on, Tony had seemed on edge during the flight to and from Quebec probably made even more anxious because Jenny had been on the flight with them… _speaking of Jenny… _he heard the doors to MTAC open and turned to see the Director standing there, eyes narrowing in on him. And then she glanced at the screen and recognized Tony's car.

Jenny joined them. "What's going on?" she demanded. "Any reason you're following Agent DiNozzo's car?"

McGee looked at Ziva, who eyed Gibbs. Their team leader threw his arm out and pointed at the screen. "My agent is in trouble, Jen. Do you have something to say about this?"

"He's not _your _agent—not anymore. As of this morning, Agent DiNozzo resigned," Jenny snapped, glaring at Gibbs.

"What? Why?" McGee sputtered.

"Apparently he felt that he couldn't trust NCIS to have his back anymore," Jenny responded, coldly.

"Do you blame him, Jen?" Gibbs threw at her, angrily. "How many times did he tell you that his cover was blown?"

Jenny didn't say a word. She stared Gibbs down, not afraid of him. He couldn't intimidate her like he did his agents. They were in the middle of their stand off when both McGee and Ziva gasped in despair. Glancing up the screen as Gibbs spun about to see what the matter was, Jenny saw Tony's car in flames.

* * *

Loss was a part of the job. But it was a part of the job that Gibbs could never get used too.

As they pulled up to the crime scene—the burnt out shell of Tony's Mustang—Gibbs felt the impact of this latest loss that he had to endure thanks to the job. In the middle of the street Tony's car lay in ruins, blown to pieces, debris scattered about. Firefighters had put the blaze out, leaving behind the charred remains of two passengers. Metro had found Tony's identification and called NCIS right away, but the team had already been en route.

Gibbs got out of the Charger and headed towards the scene, pulling on a pair of gloves. His eyes were drawn to the driver, heart aching as he realized just how much he had failed Tony. Even when he'd desperately tried to protect his agent… "McGee," he choked out, turning to find his team—what was left of it anyways—standing there, looking at the scene with somber, distraught faces. "McGee!" he tried again, a bit more forceful this time.

McGee snapped to life and swallowing back his tears, he began to take photographs of the bodies. In the backseat was clearly some luggage. Tony had been trying to get away… maybe away from the person that had killed him. There was no doubt in McGee's mind that this was not an accident.

"Special Agent McGee," Director Shepard called to him. He looked up and noticed that she was crouched down, pointing to something. "Is this some kind of timing device?"

"Ten bucks at most electrical stores," McGee replied, somberly as he took a picture of it. "Probably activated when the ignition turned on. Counts down to however long you need it to… so when it reaches zero…" He couldn't bring himself to say it, to say that when it hit zero in this case it had blown Tony's car to hell.

Jenny stood, swallowing the bile in her throat as she walked away. No matter how one looked at it—this was her fault. Blinded by rage and revenge, she hadn't listened to Tony and now he was dead, along with Leah Dawson. A long time ago she never would have thrown her entire existence into something like the Benoit operation… what had changed about her?

Ducky watched her approach, glanced at the pained expression on Gibbs face. "Shockwave would have killed them before the fire. Death would have been instantous. Small mercies, my dear boy," he lamented, leaning down to inspecting the body of the driver.

Gibbs took little comfort in that. He figured that Leah's parents were going to take little comfort in that.

"Identification?" Jenny asked, joining them.

"General build, height, and weight are about right," Ducky reported. "Most of the epidermis and dermis have been burned off so no fingerprints. I'll need to get their dental records for positive identification. Is there any chance that it's not Tony?" He asked Jenny, hopefully, searching for some doubt to cast.

Jenny shook her head, her jaw clenching as she tried to hold herself together, "None that I can think of," she whispered before walking away.

Ducky glanced at Gibbs, watching Jenny walk away. "She blames herself. Should she?"

Gibbs sighed, heavily and followed Jenny. "Let me know when you finish, Duck."

"Do you believe in miracles, Ziva?" Ducky heard McGee ask as he got back to work.

"It is not a part of my training," was her response.

McGee came around the car and went to stand with her. "It might not even be Tony."

Ziva held out the burnt remains of Tony's credentials so he could take a photograph of it. As she swiped her thumb over the senior field agent's photograph she felt her heart breaking. McGee could try to deny it all he wanted, but it was Tony in that car. And it was Tony that was now gone forever.


	30. Hope

**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Bury Your Dead"

**A/N:** Ok, so I didn't want to leave you all hanging too long. Enjoy! Feedback is always appreciated, just saying ;)

**E- **_You'll find out in this chapter if it was Tony and Leah in the car or not._

* * *

Scattered remnants of a life lay out on Abby's table. Gibbs eyed the ruined duffel bags, the charred clothing… the burnt shell of Leah Dawson's wallet and Tony DiNozzo's credentials. His heart ached at the loss…

Abby was blubbering on about something, about not giving up hope until Ducky confirmed that it was Tony. Gibbs couldn't really listen. He couldn't fathom how this wasn't Tony and Leah in the car… everything suggested that it was… the letter on Jenny's desk that morning with Tony resigning from NCIS, the duffel bags in the back seat of the car. The young man had been trying to make an escape, to get out of Dodge before something bad happened. _He was just a little too late, _Gibbs thought, sorrowfully.

"Tell me it isn't him, Gibbs!" Abby cried, suddenly, throwing her arms around him and pulling him for a comforting, tight hug. "Please tell me it isn't him."

"I really wish I could, Abs," Gibbs sighed, anguish in his tone.

Abby stepped back and turned on her heel. "My babies and I need to be alone. We have a lot of work to do."

Gibbs felt the overwhelming grief hit him again. _Just like Kate. _He quietly left the lab and headed towards the elevator. Stepping inside he hit the button for autopsy, feeling another overwhelming desire to see Tony. Everything else could wait. It wasn't like he had a lot to go on in this investigation… a bomb strapped to a timer that could be purchased at any hardware store… finding who did this would be like finding a needle in a haystack. And he still had the unpleasant task of calling John and Katherine Dawson—to bring them the tragic news of their daughter's passing. It was something that came with the job, Gibbs accepted that, but it didn't make the task any easier.

Stepping off the elevator outside of autopsy he braced himself before entering. Ducky had the bodies on two tables side by side and he was beginning the unpleasant task of starting his work on the body they believed to be Tony.

Ducky looked up when he heard the doors open and he sighed, sadly, "Jethro. I assure you that we're doing our best to identify the boy…"

"You said they would have died, instantly?" Gibbs questioned, hearing his voice choke on the words.

"Yes. The shockwave would have killed them… causing massive trauma," Ducky replied, seeing the pain in his friend's eyes. "Tony and Miss Dawson didn't suffer, Jethro."

"Small mercies," Gibbs repeated what Ducky had said at the site of the bomb blast.

He tended to agree, but Ducky could see that Gibbs wasn't here to be given reassurance that Tony's death had been quick and painless. Gibbs was here because he was desperately seeking closure but couldn't find it. There was guilt written into the features of the former marine. "Jethro, this is not your fault," Ducky tried to assure him. "Tony tried to signal you for help and you did your best to help him."

Gibbs glared at Ducky, angrily. "My best?" He nearly shouted. He spread his arms wide and gestured towards the two bodies. "Does this look like my best, Duck?" Gibbs questioned, painfully, frustrated, and angrily. "Tony and an innocent young woman are dead!"

The medical examiner could see the pain in Gibbs' eyes, the inner turmoil. "Jethro, do not let this consume you like Kate. Do not let your obsession to find the one responsible cloud your judgement like it did with Ari—like it did with Jenny."

He flinched. Of course Ducky had dug up information on Jenny and her father and the Frog. Gibbs felt his temper cooling, even if it was just a bit. "Tony's dead, Ducky. The least I can do for him now is to find his killer."

Ducky sighed as the doors to autopsy opened and Jimmy stepped inside. There was a visible lack of bounce to the eager assistant's step since this morning. There was a gaping hole in their lives now… "Did you bring the blood samples to Abby?"

"Yes. She's testing them right now. Agent Lee was going to get me a court order to obtain Miss Dawson's medical records," Jimmy reported, eyes traveling to the tables.

"Alright then," Ducky whispered, "Let's get to work then, Mister Palmer. We'll… we'll start on Anthony first."

Gibbs couldn't stay and watch them cut Tony open and dissect him. Exiting the room quickly, he headed back to the bullpen. The time to mourn would be later. Right now, he had a killer to find.

* * *

Ziva had been present to deliver bad news to families before, but there was something gut wrenching about sitting in the conference room later that day with John and Katherine Dawson. Gibbs had delivered the news that their daughter had died in a car explosion that morning and amid their stunned, heart broken reactions… Gibbs needed them to identify Leah's belongings.

On the table was a duffel bag and purse in clear evidence bags. Katherine was looking at the duffel, tears running down her cheeks and she sobbed, "Yes, yes that's Leah's… I… I gave it to her for her birthday last year." She turned towards her husband, looking for some comfort and some doubt that their child was not gone, but John's jaw trembled slightly.

"Did they suffer, Agent Gibbs?" John asked, trying to hold himself together for his wife. Katherine let out a strangled sound as she buried her face against her husband's shoulder.

"No. Death was quick," Gibbs told them, gently. "I don't know if that helps any…"

"Helps?" Katherine repeated, furiously. "Our daughter was killed in a car bombing, Agent Gibbs! How does knowing she died quickly supposed to be any comfort?"

Gibbs could relate to her anguish, the cold grip of grief realizing you had outlived your child. He had never wished that kind of pain on anyone. Seeing Katherine struggle with her loss brought back intense memories of his own. _At least she has her husband, her four other children, _he thought with some hope for her. Gibbs had been alone when Kelly died, magnifying his pain. "Mrs. Dawson, I know this is hard…"

Katherine's blue eyes, identical to the ones Gibbs had seen on Leah, filled with more tears. "How could you possibly understand how I feel? Have you ever lost a child, Agent Gibbs? Do you have any idea how much it hurts right now?"

Ziva swallowed, anxiously. She watched as utter anguish crossed Gibbs' face as he breathed out a simple, "Yes."

John blinked, rapidly, forcing the tears out that blurred his vision. "You… you lost a child?" When Gibbs nodded his head solemnly, John inquired, "How did you get over it?"

"Don't give over it, Mr. Dawson, you just get through it and past it."

"I'm not sure if I can do that, Agent Gibbs. Leah… she was our baby. I just don't understand how this happened."

Gibbs opened the file in front of him and spread some papers out. They were the surveillance photographs that he had taken with McGee months ago. "Do you remember this dinner, Mr. Dawson?"

John looked at the photographs of Rene and his associates at the table, at himself and Leah going over to greet him. Rene had asked if they'd stay for a drink. Leah had declined and left. He never thought much about it afterwards. "Yes. I ran into Rene after taking my daughter out for dinner. He invited us to stay for a drink, she declined and went home."

He now took out photographs that the ER had taken to document Tony's injuries after Benoit's men beat him up. Gibbs tapped his finger on the one that showed the bruises on the NCIS agent's face. "Agent DiNozzo was assaulted by two of Rene Benoit's men the night before that dinner. I have every reason to believe that your daughter was with him at the time and therefore was terrified when she ran into Benoit at the restaurant."

Ziva looked away from the photographs. She had known that Tony was in trouble back then. Why didn't any of them do something? Why had she let her jealousy get the best of her when her partner was in danger? "Special Agent DiNozzo did not want to give those men up," she told the Dawsons. "He was trying to protect your daughter."

"Why would Rene have him beaten?" John asked, cautiously.

"John," Katherine hissed, "I knew he was trouble. I knew he was working something illegal when he came back to Boston."

"Your wife is right, Mr. Dawson," Gibbs said. "Rene Benoit is wanted for international arms dealing. Agent DiNozzo was investigating him. Some how he was made."

John's shoulders stiffened. "Trent Kort."

Gibbs snapped his fingers to have Ziva write the name down.

"He's the one that made, Anthony. He's the one that let Rene know that Anthony was a federal agent," John said, angrily.

"How can you be sure of this?" Ziva asked.

"Because, Trent Kort is CIA," John replied. "A rather loose cannon, but still CIA."

For a moment no one said anything, and then Gibbs stood, gathering the photographs back into the folder and tucking the folder underneath his arm. "I promise, I am going to find out who planted that bomb and bring in the ones responsible. Tony… Tony was running, trying to get Leah out of the city and to safety… I owe it to him to make sure who killed her is brought to justice."

Katherine wiped her eyes with a tissue. "When… when will we be able to bring our daughter's remains… home to Boston?"

Gibbs took a deep breath. "As soon as Doctor Mallard has finished his autopsy I'll have him sign a release."

She thanked him and then slumped in a chair as a new attack of cries came at her. Gibbs and Ziva left the conference room, giving John and Katherine some much needed privacy to grieve for their daughter.

"That was awful," Ziva quietly admitted as they walked.

"Worst part of the job," Gibbs sighed.

"Yes, but you should not have promised them that we will catch who did this," Ziva chastised him. "There maybe no evidence left behind, it was a common explosive device…"

Gibbs turned on her as McGee approached them. "Someone murdered an NCIS agent—my agent, _my friend_—I am not about to let them get away with it, Officer David!"

McGee looked at Ziva, partially stunned. "Ah, boss. I think… I think I found something."

"What McGee?"

"Tony was tailing someone. A limo. I ran the plates. It's registered to a company owned by Rene Benoit."

"Why would Tony be tailing someone with Leah in the car with him?" Ziva asked. "He would not jeopardize her life."

Gibbs perked up at this. "No. He wouldn't. He was trying to get away from Benoit."

McGee frowned. "There's a possibility that Tony didn't know the limo was registered to Benoit…" He backed up when Gibbs turned and snarled at him, "But then again, I'm sure Tony has seen the limo and the plates and knew…"

"Has Ducky made a positive identification yet?" Gibbs asked, in a growl.

"No. Not that I've heard," McGee sputtered.

Gibbs announced that he was going to get some coffee. Until Ducky made the declaration that the body in autopsy was Tony, Gibbs was going to go on believing that his senior field agent had somehow escaped unscathed.

* * *

Over the years Ducky had managed to conduct himself professionally when faced with a friend on his table. But even today he was finding it hard to do his job. While he weighed and inspected the young man's organs, the medical examiner realized just how much Tony meant to him—how the young lad had charmed his way into the life of everyone that he met. Ducky looked down at the burnt corpse and sighed, heavily, "Oh dear boy, I am going to miss you."

Jimmy swallowed, sadly. Conducting an autopsy on someone that you cared about, spent time with… well that was a part of his job… but Tony had become his friend after Gibbs had gone to Mexico. They had some sort of secret friendship going on where Tony went to him for advice, a shoulder to lean on… even when Tony teased him, Jimmy knew that the field agent had his back.

A loud, shrill beep echoed in the room and Jimmy looked towards the fax machine. "Blood results are back," he gulped, going to retrieve the piece of paper.

Ducky paused in his examination of the lungs, "And?"

"A positive."

"Tony?"

"A positive."

"Well… thirty four percent of the world's population share that same blood type."

Jimmy went back to retrieve his clipboard so Ducky could dictate his findings to him. He quickly jotted down the notes and then heard Ducky repeat "Minimal scarring…"

Ducky quickly went to open the second lung as Jimmy looked on confused. "How could this man have minimal scarring?"

"Healthy living."

"Y petis."

"The plague?"

"Tony suffered severe pneumonia when he contracted the plague, causing more than minimal scarring on his lungs," Ducky pointed out. "This man, Jimmy, never had the damn plague!"

* * *

"We have quite the mess here, Jenny," Phillip Davenport said, scowling as he stood in her office. "A dead NCIS agent and a dead civilian. You better have a good lawyer."

"Agent DiNozzo never indicated to me this morning that he was in trouble," Jenny said with a wince. "I came in and found his letter of resignation on my desk with his badge and gun. He had ended his employment at NCIS before this happened."

Davenport shifted his gaze towards Gibbs. The other man had been strangely silent. Davenport assumed it had something to do with his grief over losing his agent in the line of duty, but he needed Gibbs to back him up at the moment. Jenny was showing grief over the dead agent, but she wasn't showing the remorse that the PR department was going to be looking for when this hit the fan. "I should have put a stop to this damn operation the moment the CIA brought their concerns to me, Jenny. I gave you the benefit of the doubt because of your father."

Jenny sat down at her desk and placed her hands in her lap. "Agent DiNozzo's death is upsetting, Mister Secretary, and this agency will investigate it to find the one responsible and put them behind bars. Mr. and Mrs. Dawson have our condolences as well."

Gibbs shifted on his feet and frowned. Jenny was exhibiting dismay over Tony's death— but not like his team—not like Leah's parents. It was a good idea that he hadn't asked her to be present when he informed John and Katherine Dawson of their daughter's demise. She was coming off cold, unfeeling and it surely would have upset Katherine Dawson.

Davenport snapped at her. "You're lucky that John Dawson doesn't sue NCIS' ass for wrongful death, Jenny. You're also lucky that he and I run in the same crowds when his family is in Washington, or we'd have a very, very big problem on our hands."

"We already have a big problem on our hands. Rene Benoit murdered Special Agent DiNozzo and Miss Dawson," Jenny stated, matter-of-factly.

"Jen, we haven't made a positive ID yet on the bodies," Gibbs reminded her. "We can't be certain who killed them, Mr. Secretary, we can't certain it was them."

"Yes, we can, Jethro," Ducky interrupted, stepping into the office. "I'm sorry to be so rude and barge in here but this is of the upmost importance."

"It's fine, Doctor Mallard," Davenport said, gesturing for him to come into the room. "This has to do with the investigation of a dead NCIS agent—please interrupt."

Ducky looked at Gibbs and the team leader saw the hope in his eyes. "While doing my examination I noted that there was minimal scarring on the man's lungs. That man in autopsy cannot be Anthony, Jethro."

Davenport was confused. "How can we determine that off of scarred lungs?"

The medical examiner turned towards the Secretary of the Navy. "Because, Anthony suffered from y petis, the pneumonic plague. His lungs would have been much more scarred than the man down on my table."

Gibbs felt the heavy burden around his heart lifting. "What about the woman?"

"I have asked Agent Lee to rush getting the warrant for Leah's medical records. But… if that man is not Tony… is it safe to assume that the woman is not Leah?"

"Rule eight, Ducky," Jenny recited, softly. _Never assume._

"If that man isn't Agent DiNozzo, who is he?" Davenport asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"We'll work on that, Mister Secretary. I'm more concerned about finding Tony right now," Gibbs said, silently asking if he could be dismissed.

Davenport did so. As Gibbs and Ducky left, he turned to glare at Jenny. "You better pray, Director Shepard, that those agents find Anthony DiNozzo and Leah Dawson alive, and unharmed. Or you're going to be looking for a brand new career."

* * *

_So, if Tony and Leah are alive, where did they go?_


	31. Hiding

**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Bury Your Dead", Season 4

**A/N:** This is a rather long chapter, so I'll just let you get right to it! I'm hoping to keep up with the daily updates but we'll see. Not on vacation anymore so, you know, real life gets in the way :p

Oh, and the "lovely" **Guest **that said "you suck", I think you'll find your mean and unnecessary comment erased. You don't have to like my writing but you don't have to insult me either.

**E- **_Jenny isn't getting fired, I have other plans for her, you'll see ;). _

* * *

"Your boss has made a hell of a mess," Tobias Fornell said early the next morning at the coffee stand. "Any luck finding Tony and the girl yet?"

"Not yet. DiNozzo has connections all over the place," Gibbs said with a sigh. "If he wants, Tobias, he can make himself and Leah disappear."

"Doesn't sound like he wanted to disappear, just start his life over... he'll turn up eventually," Fornell pointed out. "So, it wasn't them in the car."

Gibbs took his coffee from the barista and nodded his head. "Leah Dawson's medical records confirmed that it wasn't her in the car, Ducky already ruled out Tony based on lung scarring… her parents want answers… I don't have any."

Fornell took a sip of his own coffee. This case had been buzzing around the FBI office since word broke yesterday morning. "CIA lost Rene Benoit. They haven't been able to reach him since yesterday morning. Trent Kort thinks Tony has something to do with it."

He laughed, angrily. "Of course he does," Gibbs snapped. "Tony nearly destroyed Kort's operation."

"CIA took full advantage… having Kort take over for the Frog," Fornell pointed out. "Looks like Tony might be in the clear…"

"Tony isn't responsible for the Frog's disappearance, Tobias," Gibbs stated. "Once that bomb went off his priority was vanishing with Leah."

Fornell had to agree. He took another sip of his coffee. "He did a pretty good job of it, Jethro. Have any ideas where he might have gone with her?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Not at the moment." As he spoke his cell phone rang in his pocket. Gibbs took it out and saw McGee's name flash on the screen. Flipping it open, he answered, "Yeah, go ahead McGee."

"_Boss. I got something. Since we disproved that it wasn't Tony and Leah in the car. I did some digging. I traced both their credit cards and bank statements…" _

"Get to the point, McGee!"

"_Right… sorry, boss. Tony purchased two plane tickets to Sicily. They landed at Catania-Fontanarossa Airport early this morning, Italy time. Boss… did you know that Tony has dual citizenship? I know he spends lots of time over in Europe on holiday but, I didn't realize…"_

Gibbs snapped the phone shut. He looked at Fornell earnestly. "Found DiNozzo."

Fornell raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "Oh yeah? Where?"

"Italy. Should of known."

"Hey, any truth to the rumor that Tony resigned?"

He paused. Gibbs knew that Tony resigning was not going to be kept quiet and the truth was, he was pretty sure that Fornell and the FBI had their eyes on Tony for years. But his agent had been loyal—to him, to NCIS—never once thinking about walking away. Now, Gibbs wasn't sure Tony could come back. "Yeah. Jenny found his letter, badge, and weapon on her desk yesterday morning."

A slight smile spread across Fornell's face. "You know, FBI is always looking for agents with supervisory experience—Tony would be perfect for the job." He expected Gibbs to growl and become predatory, to tell him to lay off his agent—that Tony was not going to go work for the FBI. Instead, Gibbs remained silent. "Wow, things must be bad over there that you're not pissing all over him to mark him as your own."

Gibbs sighed. "Unless Davenport replaces Jenny, I can't see how Tony could come back, Tobias."

Fornell nodded, and handed Gibbs a business card. "If he decides to join us, promise we'll take good care of him."

"That's good, Tobias," Gibbs sighed as he walked away, "Because I didn't take very good care of him," he mumbled underneath his breath. It was time to fix that. Gibbs got into his car, started it up, and called McGee to get him on the next flight to Sicily.

* * *

Katherine Dawson looked at the grainy photograph placed before her. "Yes, that's… that's Leah," she stammered, eyes traveling towards her husband. "Where… where was this taken?"

McGee glanced at the photograph he'd managed to pull from security cameras. "Yesterday afternoon. It's an ATM near her apartment. She took out two grand from her savings account."

John took a deep breath. Finding out that Leah was alive had hardly been comforting. No one knew where Tony and Leah had gone. It was like they had disappeared after the bomb blast claimed the life of two of Rene's business associates and destroyed Tony's vintage Mustang. "Are they on the run, Agent McGee?"

"Yes. I've been tracking their accounts," McGee said, somberly. "Tony purchased two planet tickets to Sicily yesterday just hours after his car exploded."

"Sicily?" Katherine repeated.

"Agent DiNozzo has dual citizenship. He's also and Italian citizen. I wasn't aware of this… he still has some family in Italy," McGee replied. "Before joining NCIS he inherited quite a small fortune from his Italian grandmother. He used it to buy a house in Sicily where his family originated. We believe that's where he took Leah."

John leaned back in his chair and looked at the grainy photograph of his daughter. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, she was wearing her favorite cream colored wool coat, jeans and black winter boots. And she was looking over her shoulder in fear. "What now, Agent McGee?" he asked, softly. He knew that they couldn't go over there and demand that Tony and Leah return. Tony was no longer an NCIS agent, he'd cut all ties with the agency… and Leah… she was smart, she could easily get into a school in Italy and find a job…

Katherine stood up and began to pace, shaking slightly from head to toe. "If NCIS was able to track them to Italy… Rene will be able to track them too! Who's going to stop him from going after Agent DiNozzo again?"

McGee shifted his gaze between John and Katherine. "The CIA has not been able to locate Rene Benoit since the explosion yesterday. According to Jeanne, her father did not show up for lunch that afternoon and when she went to his yacht to find him… he wasn't there."

"He thought the bomb was for him," John mused, rubbing his chin.

"It's a possibility," McGee replied as a knock came on the door. Ziva stepped in and gestured for him to join her. He told the Dawsons that he would keep them up to date and followed behind her, closing the door. "What's going on?"

Ziva frowned. "How long until Gibbs lands in Italy?"

McGee looked at his watch. "Hours. Why?"

"Abby thinks she's traced the bomb," Ziva said. "Common tactic used in the CIA. Taking Tony out could have been CIA sanctioned."

"Or… Trent Kort taking matters into his own hands," McGee grumbled, angrily. "But no one can seem to find him..."

Ziva smirked. "I have ways of finding him."

McGee set his jaw. "Good. Do it." _Maybe by the time we find Kort, Gibbs will have found Tony._

* * *

Warm breezes ruffled the sheer lace curtains in the bedroom and the smell of the rose gardens wafted into the halls.

Tony had always considered this modest Italian villa he'd purchased with some inheritance money a refuge, but that never rang more true than it did now. Back then he had been optimistic that this would be his honeymoon spot—threw himself into upgrading and renovating it to make it modern but yet still holding that old world charm—after Wendy had left him it had been his go to spot for vacation. However, this wasn't a vacation—this was a place to stop and figure out what do now.

Leah sighed in her sleep, lying flat out on her stomach amongst the soft white blankets and sheets, her hair wildly spread over the pillows. Gently, he ran his fingers through her hair on his way outside. Stepping through the French style doors, Tony moved onto the balcony and found a padded chair in the corner. Tentatively he gazed down below at the courtyard before taking a seat. He was still on edge from yesterday morning. Until he was sure that Rene Benoit hadn't followed them, hadn't sent anyone after them he was going to be constantly on edge.

He took his gun out and placed it on the nearby table next to him. Things had not gone according to plan. When his car had blown up the day before it had kind of put a wrench into driving to rural Vermont and hiding out there for a few days. Tony had seen it in Rene's eyes that he wasn't the one to plant the bomb. Why would he insist that Tony and Leah get into the car with him if he had? And why would he give Tony his weapon back if he wanted the agent dead? After they had parted ways with the arms dealer—who they had last seen speaking angrily in French on his cell phone—he had hailed a cab and gotten himself and Leah as far away from Benoit and Washington as possible.

Quick pit stops at their apartments to grab more clothes and passports and they found themselves at Dulles International getting on a plane to Italy. He figured by now NCIS had determined they weren't in the car, rather it was Rene's associates, and that Tim had done his magic to find that Tony had used his credit card to buy the plane tickets.

Tony leaned back in the patio chair and stared up at the picture perfect blue sky. What the hell was he going to do now? If NCIS could track him then so couldn't the CIA and Benoit and... Leah's terrified scream pierced his thoughts and had him rushing back into the bedroom.

"Your car blew up and you… you were in it!" Leah sobbed when she saw him enter the bedroom. "He killed you!"

"Shhh, it's okay," Tony said, settling onto the bed with her and pulling her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head. "Just a bad dream. We're safe."

"How long though?" she whimpered, snuggling against him. "How long until Rene finds us and comes after us?"

Tony laid her down and then stretched out besides her, wrapping her tightly into his embrace. Leah turned towards him, burying her face against his chest and letting out a little cry as she once again pictured Tony's car bursting into flames on the streets of Washington.

He rubbed her back, soothingly, wanting to take away all her fears. "We're going to figure this out," Tony promised her. "We're going to get through it."

She sniffled and looked at him, shyly. "How can you be sure of that?"

"Because," he said with a smile, kissing her tenderly, "We have each other. As long we we're together, we'll be fine."

"I did always want to have a romance with a native Italian," she replied, smiling softly. "Why didn't you tell me you were a citizen?"

"Didn't seem important at the time," Tony said, brushing her wild hair out of her eyes.

Leah felt sleep starting to tug at her once again. She burrowed against her Italian lover and drifted off. Tony watched her, wanting to give her the world. She had dropped her whole entire life to run with him. Was this what true love was?

Outside he heard the rumble of a motor and then a car door shut. Tony carefully pulled himself away from Leah, retrieved his weapon from the balcony and headed downstairs, just as a figure appeared in the screen door.

"DiNozzo! Put that gun away!"

"Boss… how did you…"

"Find you? Easy. McGee traced you here. Now, are you going to let me in?"

Tony put his weapon down onto the kitchen counter and unlatched the screen door. He stepped aside to let Gibbs in, shutting it behind him. He slid the lock back into place and turned to see Gibbs looking at him, apologetically. "Boss… don't look at me that way."

Gibbs sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Thought you were dead, Tony. You have any idea what it was like to pull up to what was left of your car, look upon a body that easily could have been you? I have one word for ya—horrible."

He winced. Tony didn't want to cause the team any grief. The bomb blast had been the perfect cover to get out of Washington without a hitch. "Sorry, Gibbs. I… we just needed to get out of D.C fast, before Rene Benoit changed his mind and decided we were expendable."

Arching his eyebrows, Gibbs leaned against the counter. "Tell me what happened."

"Rene caught up to me after our little sting in Quebec. He was waiting for me outside of Leah's apartment," Tony recalled. "He wanted us to go with him to breakfast. Like that was really part of the plan. I tried to worm our way out of it, the car was running, in a tow zone…"

"He offered for someone to drive it," Gibbs guessed. Tony nodded. "And the female in the car?"

"One of Rene's associates."

Gibbs took a deep breath. "After the bomb went off…"

Tony chuckled, sarcastically. "Oh, you mean my car blowing to pieces in the middle of the street? Well… Rene, the egotistical bastard that he is thought it was an attempt on his life. We drove a few blocks, he pulled the limo over and let us go. There wasn't a lot of time, boss. I knew that NCIS would think I was dead, that Leah was dead. I wanted… I wanted us to be able to get out of Washington without any problems. We went home, grabbed a few things, passports, and then went straight to the airport where I bought us the plane tickets here."

He shifted his feet and looked at Tony, seriously. "Why didn't you think to contact me, DiNozzo? You were trying to reach out to me before the blast," Gibbs said, recalling seeing Tony's car in flames on the screen in MTAC. "I could have helped you."

Shaking his head, Tony turned away from Gibbs. "To be honest, Gibbs… after my car blew up… I wasn't sure _who _I could trust. I just… I needed to get Leah to safety. After I did that I figured I could worry about everything else."

"Yeah? And have you given it any thought what you're going to do now?"

"Some. Staying here doesn't seem like a bad option."

"Is that what Leah wants?"

Tony swallowed. "She's scared."

Gibbs shoved his hands into his pockets. "Understandable. Her life has been tossed upside down, Tony."

"I didn't want to hurt her."

"Never said that you did."

"Then what the hell do I do, Gibbs? Rene Benoit is going to keep coming after me…"

"Benoit is missing."

Tony blinked and gave his head a shake_. Kort._

Leah appeared then at the foot of the stairs, chewing on her lower lip. "Rene's missing?" she questioned, softly. Her eyes filled with tears. "It's never going to stop, is it? He's just going to keep coming after us…"

Gibbs watched as Tony went to comfort her. He had a good idea that Benoit was dead, but until a body was found there was no proof. And there would be no convincing Leah that this was going to end. "Wasn't Rene that put the bomb in your car, Tony. I think him letting you go was sincere. If you walked away from NCIS..."

"Who put the bomb in my car?" Tony asked, clutching Leah.

"CIA. Although they're saying it wasn't sanctioned to cover their asses."

"I ever see Trent Kort again, boss, I'll kill him."

"Need you to come back to D.C, Tony."

"Can't boss. You know why."

"CIA and Kort have agreed to back off, Tony."

Tony let go of Leah and rubbed his hands across his face. "I burned my bridges at NCIS. I left Jenny that letter… don't know if you read it but I, ah, I wasn't very nice to her in it. She isn't going to hire me back… so unless you tell me that Jenny has been removed as Director…"

Gibbs shook his head. "Jenny hasn't been removed. CIA is trying to save face, Davenport is trying to save face. They'd rather let this whole thing get swept under the rug… and I'm not here to ask you to come back to NCIS to work. Any agency would be lucky to have you, Tony. How long do you think the two of you are going to survive here? Soon the money will dry up, Leah's passport will expire and she'll have to go back to the States…"

Leah continued to chew on her lower lip, nervously. "If we go back to Washington are we going to be safe, Agent Gibbs?"

He set his jaw and gave her a reassuring look. "Yes. Your father made it very clear to the CIA that if Kort tries anything again, if Benoit tries anything again, that he's going to sue their asses—if the CIA so much as sneezes on you, Miss Dawson, someone will be plucking their operative out of their deep undercover operation and putting him in jail."

Tony cocked a grin. "Wow, you were busy on that flight to Italy."

"I had a layover in England—time to kill."

"Great, boss, thanks for having my back. Just one problem—I still don't have a job."

Gibbs threw him an easy smile and pulled a card from his pocket. He handed it to Tony. "Yeah, ya do."

Tony stared at the card, his mouth hanging open slightly. "Boss…"

"Stop calling me that, DiNozzo. I'm not your boss anymore."

"Ok, fine then, _Gibbs, _are you serious?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"Well… no."

Gibbs chuckled. "Well good. If you want my opinion, Tony; take the damn job."

Tony swallowed. "But, Gibbs… it's the FBI. You _hate _the FBI."

He shrugged. "Maybe I'd start liking them more if you worked there."

"I owe everything to you, Gibbs…"

"You owe me nothing, Tony. FBI needs experienced leaders. The move isn't just lateral, it's upwards."

"FBI blue would look good on me," Tony teased.

"Yeah, it would," Gibbs threw out, starting to get a little frustrated with Tony. "Are you going to come back to D.C and take the job or not?"

Tony glanced at Leah, their eyes locking for a moment. In the end there really was only one option that he really could take.


	32. FBI Agent Anthony DiNozzo

**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Internal Affairs", "Friends and Lovers", Season 4

**A/N:** Apologize for the bit of a longer wait than normal. Thank you for all the kind words for the last chapter. I think I responded to all of you, but if I didn't, thank you! Hope you enjoy this next chapter. First look at FBI Agent DiNozzo. Enjoy!

* * *

Stepping around a puddle to avoid ruining his designer shoes, Tony headed into the building. Five months he'd called the J. Edgar Hoover Building his home and he was still getting used to it. The job wasn't much different, higher profile cases of course than any he'd been handed at NCIS… co-workers didn't seem to be carrying around as much emotional baggage as the ones back at NCIS. And he didn't doubt that the Director of the FBI had his back… not to mention Tobias.

Tony could only imagine the inquiry Fornell had undergone the last time he ventured over to the Navy Yard to assist in a case. His goodbyes to his old team had been quick, he'd cleaned his desk out the night of his resignation… and after giving his statement in regards to the investigation of who blew up his car, Tony had walked out of NCIS for good.

Of course, Abby had tried to email him a few times to coax him back. He'd met her for lunch and laid everything out on the table—Jenny's lack of control, his distrust in her… after thirty minutes Abby agreed that going over to the FBI was the best for him. She made him promise to at least have lunch with her once a month, he decided it was the least he could do after his abrupt departure.

Few more weeks went by and McGee showed up at his apartment door, pizza and wanting to play video games. Leah had been out of town for the weekend, Tony needed something to keep him busy and agreed. Eight hours of video games later, Tony learned that McGee was having a hard time without him there, without him to deflect Gibbs' anger and annoyance when things weren't done as fast as he'd like. Their new senior field agent, Langer was his last name Tony recalled, was nice enough, didn't put up with too much back talk from Ziva or McGee, but didn't have that same charm with Gibbs as Tony had possessed. It was then that Tony learned the people working down in the evidence lock-up called him the _Gibbs Whisperer. _

Tony didn't expect to see Ziva. She had acted distant the last time he'd been at NCIS. Happy that he was alive and okay, but she was stiff when Leah had arrived to give her statement on the bomb blast.

In his office, Tony shed his gear on a nearby chair and went to put his computer on. He liked to get in before his team, liked to have a few moments of quiet with his coffee. In that sense he was probably a lot like Gibbs.

His team had just spent three and a half weeks on a serial strangler case, having caught a lucky break when one of his victims managed to break free and call the police. Tony had a stack of reports on his desk that he needed to tackle and send off to the higher ups. Sipping his coffee, he sat down at his desk, and looked at his screen… Leah was smiling back at him, on a recent picnic in the park. He kept her photograph there to remind him why he was still here and doing this. Rene Benoit was still out there, could still pose a threat to him or to Leah…

On his desk the phone gave a soft ring. Tony picked it up after one ring. "Yeah, DiNozzo."

"_Is that anyway to greet me so early in the morning?" _Metro Detective John Carson said with what Tony assumed was a smile.

"Well… that depends… what can I do for you?" Tony drawled with a silent laugh. He rather liked John, could see them becoming buddies.

"_Body was pulled from the Potomac this morning, looks like a mob hit… care to tag along?" _Carson offered, genuinely. "_Probably going to be dumping the case onto you anyways, DiNozzo." _

Tony took the address down and hung up. Grabbing his weapon and badge, Tony headed out, briefly leaving a note for his second in command. Right now it didn't look like they were going to have a case and if he needed them he'd call. Of course, he knew what it was like to be a homicide detective in a big city… Carson probably had twenty open cases on his desk at the moment… probably eager to hand this one off to Tony and the FBI.

His first case with the FBI had been a dead body in an abandoned restaurant, a pink calling card in the victim's pocket. Couple that found the body had called the FBI because they believed they had stumbled onto a serial killing. Tony hadn't been so sure of that but the FBI had taken the case anyways… just as a precaution. After drugs had been found in the victim's system, Tony had found himself working with two Metro detectives—John Carson included.

He got along well enough with Carson, they had a lot in common. Spoke about women, how Tony was trying to wrap his head around commitment and John was fully happy being single after a bad break-up. But Carson had put one thought in his head… a thought that the detective kept bringing up every time they saw each other. And it was no different when Tony parked his car near the crime scene and got out, showed his ID to the patrol officer and stepped underneath the crime scene tape.

"You ask her to marry you yet?" Carson asked with a grin.

"Not yet. The timing hasn't been right," Tony answered, shrugging.

"Seriously? You love the girl or not?"

"I love her."

"So what the hell is taking so long? Ask the damn question, DiNozzo!"

Tony gestured towards the body bag on the shore. "Can we get to work, John? I haven't got all day."

Carson chuckled and gestured towards the Metro medical examiner to open the body bag. "Got caught in some driftwood, probably wouldn't have surfaced if it hadn't been for that. Lucky break I guess."

_Lucky break indeed, _Tony thought as the bag was unzipped and the face revealed. His stomach flip-flopped and he felt his hands shake ever so slightly. Rene Benoit's lifeless, decomposing face was looking back at him. He swallowed the bile in his throat. _Calm down, calm down! _ "Not a mob hit," he mumbled, when he heard Carson suggest that the man had been executed and then dumped in the river.

"You know this guy, DiNozzo?" Carson inquired, noticing the strained look on his friend's face.

"Yeah," Tony grounded out, "It's international arm's dealer, Rene Benoit."

* * *

Penny Davis was a bubbly, southern soul and always greeted Tony with a smile when he entered her autopsy lab. Today she could tell that the young man was troubled by something. "What's the matter, baby? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

Tony looked down at Benoit's body on the table. As soon as he had identified the body, read Carson in on the case, Metro had handed their case over to the FBI. Tony already had a call into Fornell. "Think I have, Penny."

"Metro medical examiner said you knew this guy," Penny replied, looking Tony straight in the eye. "Now… how does a handsome boy like you know an arms dealer?"

"NCIS undercover operation gone terribly wrong," Tony sighed, shoving his hands into his pants pockets.

Penny had only heard the stories and rumors about how Tony had come to work for the FBI. He had never actually confirmed any of it though. It appeared that the rumors running around that an undercover operation had almost killed him were quite possibly true. "Baby, you seem to run in some tough crowds," she said with a shake of her head.

Tony tossed her one of his best smiles, the one that Leah often claimed got him out of trouble. "Yeah, but you love me lucky Penny… so how soon can I have my autopsy report? I really need a cause and time of death on this guy."

"Cause will be simple enough, single gun shot wound through the frontal lobe," Penny pointed out. "Time of death will be a bit more tricky to determine, seeing how he was in the river for the winter and the cold would have preserved the body. Give me twenty four hours."

"You're a doll, Penny," Tony said with a grin as he left the autopsy lab. His cell phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out he glanced at the screen. _SecNav wants to see you. _

He sighed and rubbed his temple for a moment. It was no surprise that Fornell had notified the SecNav, and that the SecNav wanted to speak to him. _Probably to make this go away without so much as a word in the press. _Tony realized that it wasn't even ten o'clock yet and he'd already pulled a dead arms dealer from the river, and was about to go head to head with the Secretary of the Navy. It was going to be a long day. A really, really long day.

* * *

Davenport looked older to him. Tony wasn't sure why, exactly five months had made the head of the Navy older… but Davenport certainly seemed to be growing weary. Perhaps, keeping Jenny Shepard under a tight rein was staring to pay a toll on the old man. He sat down in the man's office, fixing his suit coat and waiting to be addressed.

Tony had learned a while ago that you didn't speak until spoken too when it concerned Davenport. Today was no different than most days when he'd been the MCRT team leader for four months while Gibbs had been in Mexico.

"Is this going to lead back to NCIS?" Davenport finally asked.

"Is what going to lead back to NCIS?" Tony asked, playing it cool.

"Cut the crap, DiNozzo," Davenport snapped. "I know that Rene Benoit's body was found in the river this morning. I need to know—is this going to come back to NCIS?"

"Depends, Mister Secretary," Tony replied. "Do you have reason to believe that someone at NCIS killed him?" _Wouldn't put it past Jenny… _

Davenport shifted in his seat, uncomfortably. "There's no denying that your meddling in the CIA's operation was the reason Benoit was murdered. It's pausible to assume that this investigation could make trouble for NCIS."

Tony played with his tie briefly, pretending to flick away a piece of dust. "I plan to fully hand the investigation off to Agent Fornell, Mister Secretary, if you're worried that my past connections to NCIS will be a problem for some."

"You haven't kept up with those connections."

"No need too. If they really missed me—they know what where to find me."

He eyed the former NCIS agent for a second. Davenport knew the man sitting with him was smart, he'd managed to use the cover of his car blowing up to vanish for twenty four hours, getting out of the country and all the way to Italy. In fact, Tony's care and concern for Leah Dawson had been what kept John Dawson from suing NCIS until the cows came home. Davenport needed to be careful. This could end up in a sticky situation for him. "You'll have Agent Fornell share any findings with me?"

Tony rang his tongue over his lips and thought about for a moment. He could make the SecNav sweat a little, play with him a bit… but he found that he was too exhausted for that and he had a briefing with Fornell when he managed to get back to the FBI. "Sure. I'll make sure Agent Fornell is aware that you want to be read in. I can't make any promises though. Fornell can be a bit more stubborn than me."

Davenport wasn't sure about that but he was going to have to take Tony's word. And keep his fingers crossed that NCIS didn't end up entangled in this investigation.

* * *

"I made your favorite," Leah said when he arrived home that night. She was standing in his kitchen—no _their _kitchen—he asked her to move in last month and she smiling. Her long hair was down and straightened, and she had a pair of gray sweatpants on underneath a navy blue fitted tee shirt. "Pizza with extra cheese, sausage and pepperoni."

"You made it? Or did you call my favorite pizza place and have it delivered?" Tony asked with a cheeky grin. She glared at him playfully and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in for a kiss. When he pulled back he saw the dirty dishes and cutting board. "You really did make me pizza."

Leah smiled up at him. "Yes, because I love you and I know you worked a really long and exhausting day."

Tony frowned, suddenly, thinking about how his day had gone. "It was an incredibly long and exhausting day."

She kissed his cheek, softly. "So it's a good thing I came home from class and slaved away in this kitchen to make your favorite pizza. Sounds like you could use some of your favorite things tonight. Also made some chocolate pudding for dessert."

He hugged her tightly, kissing her hair and falling in love with her even more. Tony wasn't sure if that had even been possible, but since she moved in, day after day he did find himself falling in love with her all over again. Maybe John was right. Maybe it was time to ask Leah to marry him.


	33. Diamonds and Warrants

**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Internal Affairs" sort of lol

**A/N:** I know it's not daily updates, but I'll keep my best to keep them coming at a relatively fast pace.

**E- **_Proposal is coming soon, just not in this chapter. Not sure when it will be to be honest._

* * *

Rain pelted the windshield of the FBI sedan. Tony parked the car in front of their destination, the windshield wipers working furiously against the aggressive rainfall. He shut the car down and peered out his window at the storefront.

"Ah… this isn't the right store, sir," the wiry blonde in the passenger seat remarked. "It's two more blocks down."

"I know. We're in no rush. Thought we'd stop here first," Tony replied. "And how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me _sir, _Debra?"

Debra Slater straightened in her seat and looked away. "Sorry. It's a force of habit after working for Fornell for so many years."

Tony laughed, silently. "Both of us know that I'm a much different agent than Toby."

She wouldn't deny that, while both Tony and Fornell were passionate about their jobs, Tony approached leadership with a much softer hand. Debra had been shaking in her boots and avoiding the bite of Tobias Fornell for years before the FBI transferred her to Tony's team. At first she wasn't that thrilled. She'd heard about NCIS and their MCRT, she heard about how they were cowboys. But Tony had been friendly from the start. He didn't demand results, he expected them and when they didn't provide them… he told them to keep trying, not that they could do better. "What are we doing here?"

He reached for his door, green eyes drifting upwards toward the angry skies looking for a possible break in the down pours. Didn't look like it was going to happen. Oh well, they were just going to get a little wet that's all. Debra wasn't a girly girl. She wouldn't mind her hair getting messed up. She was smart, McGee smart… probably could give Tim a run for his money, Tony thought. "Need to pick out a ring. I'm not sure what women like… that's why I brought you."

"Wait? A what?" Debra sputtered, confused. "You're actually going to do it? You're going to ask her?"

"Everyone sounds so surprised when they find out. Why is that?" Tony inquired.

"Well, you asked her to move in with you a month ago… we just thought a ring would have gone with it," Debra said with a shrug.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Get out of the car and into the store. I need to pick a ring in twenty minutes because we have a sub shop manager to speak to about his money laundering, got it?"

Debra nodded and opened her door. "Alright, sir… I mean… Tony."

He stepped out into the rain, slammed the car door shut and ran full speed into the jewelry store, Debra behind him. Tony shook the rain water off of his suit and looked around, immediately overwhelmed. He spun about, ready to go back to the car, blurting, "You know what, we really should go talk to that sub shop owner first. I can do this later."

She grabbed him by the arm and steered him back towards the display cases. "Oh no. You've been dancing around this issue enough the last four weeks since Leah moved in with you. Just do it, sir…. Tony."

"How the hell am I supposed to choose one?" Tony whined.

"I've heard that when you see it, you'll know," Debra offered.

Tony wasn't so sure about that. He felt lost looking at the cases of rings. The sales girl kept asking him about Leah's personality and her likes and dislikes. What did any of that have to do with picking out an engagement ring? None of these diamond rings appealed to him, he couldn't see his Leah wearing any of them. She was unique, she deserved a unique ring not a run of the mill everyday diamond.

Debra pointed to something in the case then, pulling him away from the sales lady. Tony went over to see what she was looking at—a pale blue diamond solitaire ring. Simple, beautiful, and unique—it was Leah in jewelry form.

As he looked at it, he realized that Debra had been right—when he saw it, he knew. Tony didn't care how much the 2 caret, round diamond on a white gold band cost—he had money—those designer suits were not solely bought off his salary. And Davenport had made sure Tony was compensated for his tickets to Europe when the federal agent had been running from Rene Benoit—no thanks to Davenport's NCIS director. Tony wasn't sure if the money came from NCIS or Davenport himself, but he could now use it to give his girl a diamond.

"So, how are you going to ask her?" Debra inquired while they waited for the sales girl to finish the purchase and bag the ring up.

"Haven't thought that far ahead yet," Tony answered, honestly.

"Well, don't wait too long," Debra said, "Because once you ask a girl to move in, they're going to start to expect a ring."

"What? Seriously?"

"Oh yeah. In fact I made it clear when I moved in with Mike that I wanted a ring. Bet Leah's been dropping hints for a month, Tony."

Tony frowned at her. Debra was a no nonsense type of girl and she clearly wasn't messing around when it came to her job or her relationships. Leah was a bit different. If she had been hinting at wanting a ring the last four weeks, Tony had completely missed it. The sales lady came back with his purchase and Tony pushed thoughts of missing hints from his mind as he made his way back to the car, his little bag in his hand.

Rain was still pelting the city and he tucked the bag underneath his jacket to keep it from getting wet. Once inside the car, Tony locked the bag up in the glove box. He did not want to take the chance of someone stealing it while he and Debra were inside the sub shop questioning the owner.

Debra held his phone up. "Hey, Tony… you left this in the car. Looks like someone's been trying to reach you."

Tony took the cell from her and glanced at the screen. _Gibbs. _ Why the hell was Gibbs trying to reach him? Fornell was usually the former marine's go to FBI agent when he needed a favor or when an investigation warranted a joint operation. In the five months that Tony had been with the FBI he had spoken shop with Gibbs perhaps once. Whenever the young man showed up at Gibbs' house they spent the evening in his basement where Gibbs taught Tony proper craftsmanship. Something had to be up if Gibbs was calling him in the middle of a workday.

Gibbs sounded irritated on the phone when he answered. "_DiNozzo, I've been trying to reach you for thirty minutes." _

"Sorry, Gibbs, I was… occupied," Tony deflected. "Why are you trying to reach me anyways?"

"_Tell me you didn't do it." _

"Tell you that I didn't do what?"

"_You didn't kill Rene Benoit." _

Tony paused, looking up and noticing another FBI car pull in front of him. His second in command got out, along with Fornell. "Gibbs, I swear… I didn't do it," he whispered as a gentle tap came on his window. He looked up through the streaming water to see Fornell, huddled underneath his trench coat.

Debra was confused. "What's going on?" she asked, noticing that her partner was standing in the rain with Fornell.

He licked his lips. Tony should have known that he was going to be a prime suspect in Rene's death. He reached over Debra, unlocked the glove box and tore the velvet box out of the bag, shoving it in his pocket. Hanging up on Gibbs, he got out of the car, stepped into the rain. "Lovely day," he said sarcastically.

Fornell winced. "Sorry, Tony. I've been asked to take you in. Ballistics report came back. It was your SIG used to kill Benoit."

"Don't worry, boss," his second, Gregory Henderson commented. "We're gonna clear this up!"

"Yeah, whatever," he sighed. "Get in the car with Debra and go nail that idiot for money laundering, got it?"

His second in command got into the car. Tony watched as they drove away. He was almost soaked to the bone now. "Can we get out of the rain, Tobias?"

Fornell nodded and lead him back to his own car. The pair of FBI agents climbed in. "Gibbs called you?"

Tony nodded. "Yes. I think he was trying to warn me."

"Greg's right. We're going to clear this up," Fornell promised him.

"Sure," Tony said, softly as they drove away, "but right now—it's not looking too good."

* * *

Gibbs glared up towards the Director's office. Fornell had been kind enough to give him a call and let him know that Tony was a prime suspect in Rene Benoit's death. The former marine knew it could go there once he'd been told the arms dealer's body had been found. But he just didn't want to believe it. Somehow, Jenny was to blame. He was just going to have a heck of a time proving it.

He was pretty confident that despite the fact that it had been Tony's NCIS issued weapon that had shot and killed Benoit that his friend was going to be let go by the end of the day. FBI was still waiting for a time of death on Benoit, but estimates were five months ago, when the man had disappeared after Tony's car had blown up. Gibbs had been ordered _not _to investigate the matter—it was after all the FBI's problem—but he could not resist the urge to help Tony. He'd failed the younger man so much when Tony had been drowning in that undercover operation Jenny had forced him into…

"Boss," McGee's voice cut through his musings, "Ziva and Langer are bringing in that Petty Officer. Do you want to question him?"

"No, have Brett and Ziva handle it," Gibbs replied with a wave of his hand.

"Ah. I'm not sure that's a good idea," McGee said, sheepishly.

Gibbs turned a glare on him. "Why Tim?"

McGee shrugged. "Brett can handle it on his own. Think Ziva intimidates him a little."

He chuckled. "Let me guess, she threatened to kill him with a paperclip?"

"Yesterday morning."

"I trust that Brett and Ziva can handle themselves professionally while interrogating Petty Officer Smith."

McGee wasn't so sure about that, but he trusted Gibbs intuition. The last five months had been a difficult adjustment. He never knew how much Tony deflected the lead agent's anger away from him and Ziva. He had looked after them in his obnoxious way and now that he was gone, McGee felt like it had been kind of sweet of Tony. Why did Tony hide behind so many masks if he really was a nice, empathetic person? Why did he insist on teasing to push people away? He didn't think he'd miss Tony as much as he did in the office. While Langer was great, he didn't have the same spark as Tony had.

Gibbs hadn't been the same either since Tony left. He was obviously kicking himself about how the whole thing with the Frog had gone down, and Jenny still sitting in the chair upstairs didn't help matters. McGee had noticed that Jenny's demeanor had been much calmer since Benoit disappeared and Tony left for the FBI.

He was startled when Gibbs leapt from his seat and stalked towards the stairs. "Boss? Where are you going?" McGee asked.

"Have a chat with the Director."

"About our case? We don't have anything really!"

"Not about the case. Tony."

Tony? Five months had gone by and _now _Gibbs was going to go talk to the Director about Tony? Seemed like a little too late for McGee. The lead agent should have _talked _to her months ago about Tony. For some reason, he had held back. McGee wasn't sure if it was because Gibbs and Jenny had a thing in the past or not, but it had not been fair to Tony, and it certainly had not been fair to the rest of the team for throwing them into the blender and shaking them up like this with very little notice.

McGee realized how bitter that sounded. But it was true. For whatever reason the MCRT dysfunctional dynamic with Tony had worked… now they seemed to be struggling. It wasn't that Brett wasn't a likable person. He was just… he wasn't Tony. He heard the ding of the elevator and glanced up to see Fornell leading Tony out of the cab—in handcuffs.

* * *

Gibbs stood silently in Observation, looking into the Interrogation room at Tony.

He had been halfway up the stairs to Jenny's office when the elevator arrived, with Tobias getting off, leading a somber looking Tony in handcuffs. Gibbs had forgotten all about the Director and what he wanted to say to her and quickly followed Fornell with Tony and their NCIS escort. He thought the cuffs were a bit too much but since there was a warrant out for Tony's arrest, and it had been an NCIS issued weapon that had been used in the murder, Davenport wanted NCIS to question Tony before he was handed over to the FBI.

Davenport had also banned Gibbs from running the interrogation. He'd already vowed though if Jenny showed her face in that room… he was going to defy that ban. Tony looked miserable, damp from the rain, head in his hands as he leaned on his elbows against the table. He looked more lost this time then when he'd been framed.

"Jethro, he didn't do it," Tobias said from the corner. "This is just formality. Circumstantial evidence at best."

"If he doesn't have an alibi," Gibbs pointed out, feeling frustrated.

"FBI is working on his alibi, okay? Not going to leave the boy hanging."

"Leah?"

Tobias crossed his arms over his chest. "Tony claims that they two of them were inseparable after the bomb blast. Only places they went after were their apartments to grab some things and then straight to the airport. If we could narrow down a time of death… but we can't. He was in the water too long. Most of the physical evidence has washed away. Weapon is still missing."

Gibbs realized something and turned towards Tobias. "Tony left that gun on Jenny's desk."

"No one to collaborate that."

"Jenny will tell you she found the gun on her desk!"

"You think a U.S attorney is going to believe her word for it when they find out how deep she was buried in that crap?"

He didn't think so. A lawyer could cry that it was Jenny that ordered Tony to kill Benoit. Or, Jenny could deny that the gun was ever in her office, thus writing Tony's sentence herself. It was his gun no matter how one looked at it.

Tobias shifted and went to stand next to Gibbs near the glass. "Listen there's no witnesses placing Tony anywhere Benoit's yacht, where they think he was murdered. Would explain why his body ended up in the river. We're going to interview as many people as we can. Trust me on this, Tony is not going to jail."

Tony glanced up at the glass then in the other room. Gibbs saw the forlorn look in his eyes. The former NCIS agent saw the writing on the wall. Unless the FBI uncovered something else, he was probably going to jail for a murder that he didn't commit. But that weapon belonging to him would look good in a jury's eyes.

Gibbs sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets, "God, I hope you're right, Tobias."


	34. Under Arrest

**Warnings:** Some spoilers for "Frame-Up", maybe for "Internal Affairs"

**A/N:** I tried to get this up for you yesterday but I was fighting with the site, so instead of getting overly frustrated I waited until morning. Enjoy!

* * *

It was eerily quiet in the Interrogation room.

Tony had sat in this room so many times—even once on the other side of the table—but he felt an impending sense of dread. This was different than those legs that had shown up with his DNA on them, this was different than the bite mark matching his teeth… he had been single then. If he had gone to jail, which at one point he was pretty certain he was going, no one would have been left behind. But now he had Leah. If the FBI didn't find a way to get him out of this… he was looking at a cell and an orange jumpsuit.

Orange was not his color, Tony decided. He silently groaned and held his head in his hands. What the hell was he going to do? If the media got a hold of this that a federal agent was under investigation for murder it would be a circus! He heard the door open and Tony looked up to see someone enter. Cocking a small grin, Tony greeted, "Hello, Director Vance."

Leon Vance didn't show an ounce of emotion as he closed the door behind him and went to sit at the table across from Tony. He'd read up on DiNozzo's file, read up on the mess of an undercover operation that Jenny had assigned the former NCIS agent and didn't blame DiNozzo one second for bolting when he got the chance. "Sorry this is taking so long, Agent DiNozzo. We're trying to track down video surveillance at the pier as well as from Director Shepard's office to see if your claims of leaving the gun on her desk are true."

"She isn't going to help me," Tony snapped, glaring slightly at Vance. "You've read the file—she left me to the wolves five months ago."

"Why don't you think she'd help you, Agent DiNozzo?" Vance asked, honestly.

"Director Shepard wants me to take the fall for her crimes," Tony hissed. "She used _my _gun to kill Benoit."

"Those are pretty bold statements," Vance retorted.

Tony swallowed the angry bile in his throat. Bold, sure. True? Absolutely. There was no doubt in his mind that Jenny had taken his gun, waited for the right opportunity—when the CIA had lost Benoit after the explosion and took him out. She'd tossed the gun and decided to let things play out. She'd gotten her revenge and Tony would be the one to pay. As he sat there in the Interrogation room at NCIS he realized that him taking the fall for her crimes was probably Jenny's plan all along. "How else can you explain my gun being used in Benoit's murder?"

Vance folded his hands in front of him on the table, chewing furiously on the toothpick hanging out of his mouth. "You could have come back for it. After resigning. Being on the run from an arms dealer you needed a gun."

He narrowed his green eyes. "You'll see that I didn't come back for that gun on the videos. And if you'd done a bit of research you'd know that I have a personal weapon registered in my name. I took that gun with me when I fled," Tony remarked, completely on edge. _Where is Gibbs? _

If he was annoyed by Tony's crass behavior, Vance didn't show it. "Do you have any witnesses to collaborate your whereabouts after the explosion?" He asked, his dark eyes showing very little emotion. "Anyone that can place you at the airport?"

"My girlfriend," Tony responded, stiffly. "She was with me the whole time."

"Miss Dawson?" Vance inquired.

Tony nodded, his eyes traveling towards the glass. He knew that Gibbs was probably back there watching him. Maybe even Jenny. He just wanted to talk to Gibbs, to explain that he wasn't the one that murdered Benoit…

Vance got up from the table. "We're going to have to hold you here, Agent DiNozzo, until we get this all sorted out. Hopefully it won't be too long, otherwise the FBI is going to have to take you to a holding cell."

"Can't I post bail or something?" Tony blurted. He was not spending the night in a cell.

"This is a serious charge. Rene Benoit was assassinated," Vance reminded him, as if Tony needed reminding. "If you need anything, ask one of my agents."

Tony watched as _the Toothpick _left the room, closing the door behind him. He slumped in his seat. Slowly his hand reached into his pocket and he felt the velvet box there with his ring in it. How had this day gone so sideways? He should be thinking about how to propose to Leah, not about how to keep himself from going to prison. But the more he thought about it, the more it looked like that was exactly where he was going to end up.

* * *

"Special Agent Gibbs, I'm confused, why am I here?" Leah Dawson asked as Gibbs instructed her to sit down.

"Just have a few questions about February," Gibbs said, shutting the door to the Conference room. "Shouldn't take very long."

Leah immediately knew that something was up. When she had called Tony's office earlier that day to confirm their dinner plans his second in command, Gregory Henderson said he was out of the building and he wasn't sure when Tony would be back. And Tony had not answered his cell phone either. Now, Gibbs had met her at work and asked her to come back to NCIS. "Is something wrong? Did Rene finally turn up?"

Gibbs didn't respond to that. Instead he sat down at the table and opened a file. It was her statement from five months ago. "In February you told us that after the car exploded, Tony took you directly back to your apartment and then his to get some things. Did you go straight to the airport from there?"

She nodded, fingers curling anxiously against the table. "Yes. We packed a few things and then hailed a cab to Dulles."

He sighed and clicked his pen. "Was there any time that the two of you were apart?"

"No. Tony insisted that we stay together."

"Did he have his weapon on him?"

"Yes."

Gibbs pulled out a photograph of Tony's NCIS issued SIG Sauer. "Does this look familiar?"

Leah glanced at the photograph. "Looks similar to the weapon Tony carries now for the FBI… but not the one he had on him that day. It was smaller."

Another photograph was presented, one of Tony's personally registered gun—she was right, it was smaller, easier to hide in a tight space in an apartment, to conceal in an ankle holster. "Is this the gun Tony had on him when you went to Italy?"

"Yes. Is he in trouble for illegally carrying the gun into Italy?"

"No. Don't think TSA was aware that he'd resigned from NCIS the morning you traveled."

"They didn't check the weapon very closely once he showed them his permit to carry. Is the TSA agent in trouble?"

He chuckled, lightly. "No. This has nothing to do with Tony carrying that weapon onto the plane."

She eyed him seriously. "Then what does this have to do with Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs closed the folder and took a deep breath. "Tony's alibi."

Leah's blue eyes reflected surprise. "His alibi for what?"

There was a knock on the door. Gibbs gruffly called out that the person could enter. McGee poked his head in. "I got that video footage you wanted me to get, boss. Just… what exactly am I looking for?"

"McGee… rule 22!"

"Sorry, boss… I didn't realize you were in an interrogation."

"Interrogation?" Leah snapped as McGee sheepishly backed out of the room and closed the door. "What am I being interrogated for? Do you think I committed a crime?"

"No," Gibbs responded, coolly, wanting to strangle McGee for interrupting him. "Tony's been arrested for the murder of Rene Benoit."

Leah suddenly looked smaller than she was. She shrank back against her chair and pulled her arms around her, hugging herself tightly. "Agent Gibbs… Tony… he wouldn't… he wouldn't murder someone." Tears formed in her eyes. "I know him. He wouldn't kill!"

Gibbs would tend to agree with her but he knew what a federal prosecutor was going to say. "Even if it meant protecting you?"

She hugged herself tighter. Yes, of course Tony would kill to protect her, but he had not murdered Rene. "He was with me the whole time," she whimpered, "I swear to God, Agent Gibbs… Tony didn't kill Rene."

He sighed as he watched a lone tear make it's way down her cheek. "I know," he whispered, gathering up his file. "And I promise I'm going to help the FBI clear his name. But right now, it is not looking good. He's a federal prosecutor's dream, Miss Dawson."

"Is it alright if I make a phone call, Agent Gibbs?"

"Of course. I'm going to check on my team. Just ask the agent outside if you need anything."

Leah mutely nodded her head and Gibbs rose from the table, stepping outside of the Conference room. He quietly shut the door behind him and found McGee waiting. He gestured for the younger man to walk with him.

McGee followed behind him, almost like a puppy dog. "Boss. I got the footage. What am I looking for?"

Gibbs jaw twitched. "See if anyone took Tony's gun from Director Shepard's desk the night he resigned."

"Sure. Is there a problem?"

"Yeah. Tony's been charged with murder."

McGee felt his jaw hang open slightly. Tony? Murder? No, it wasn't possible. Sure, Tony had made a lot of enemies over the years working in law enforcement but he would never stoop so low as to actually kill one of them. "Who… who do they think he murdered?"

Gibbs continued walking towards the bullpen. "Rene Benoit."

Ziva was seated at her desk and heard him, her ears perked up. "The Frog? He is dead?"

"Body pulled from the river two days ago."

"How did he die?"

"Gunshot wound through the head," Gibbs said, grabbing his coffee. "McGee bring up the footage of Director Shepard's office the night Tony resigned."

Ziva pushed her chair back and went to join Gibbs at the plasma screen. "I do not understand, Gibbs. If Rene Benoit is dead, why are we looking at footage of Jenny's office the night that Tony resigned from NCIS?"

Gibbs sipped his coffee his eyes on the screen. He saw Tony, wearing all black from their operation in Canada, storm into the office and leave a letter, his badge and his weapon on Jenny's desk. "Because, it was Tony's SIG that killed Benoit."

Langer quirked an eyebrow. He was familiar with the case, familiar with the reasonings for Tony having abandoned ship at NCIS. "Why are we investigating this?" he asked, honestly. Tony was not an NCIS agent anymore. The FBI should be looking into it.

"Tobias asked me too," Gibbs answered, honestly. "He's busy tracking down witnesses at the pier where Benoit's yacht was docked."

"What exactly are we looking for?" Ziva questioned.

"Who took Tony's gun from her office."

"Gibbs, anyone could have taken that gun."

"Yeah, but not _anyone _would have used it to murder Benoit."

McGee kept looking at the screen. The minutes ticked passed that the gun stayed on Jenny's desk untouched. Until the Director came into her office the following morning and found it—she was seen angrily shoving the letter into her desk, tossing the badge and then taking the gun. He gulped as she slipped it into her bag. "Boss…"

Gibbs felt his blood boil. He told McGee to make a copy of the tape and give it to Fornell. There was no way he was about to let Tony go down for Jenny's crimes.

* * *

Tim carefully opened the door to Interrogation. Peeking inside he saw that Tony had moved his chair to the opposite wall underneath the monitor. The tall agent was leaning back against the wall, the front legs of the chair in the air. He had taken his suit coat off and laid it on the table and he was staring at the ceiling.

Slowly he stepped into the room. Tim closed the door softly behind him and placed a bag with a burger and fries on the table. "I brought your favorite burger from _Beltway Burgers, _figured you might be hungry."

Tony lowered the chair with a soft _thud _and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Worried about me, Probie?"

Tim paused for a moment and stared at his former partner. "No one calls me that anymore."

"Well, you're not a probie anymore," Tony said. He got up from his chair and went to the table. "Thanks for the burger. Might the last bit of real food I eat."

"Come on, Tony," Tim said. "Gibbs and Fornell are going to get you out of this."

"Yeah… and the State Department is going to want someone to fry for it. I'm the perfect candidate."

"Director Shepard took your gun. I saw it on security footage."

Tony's hand tightened around the paper bag. His jaw clenched. "So what the hell am I still doing here?" he asked, his tone quite yet deadly.

Tim had seen that quiet rage before and frankly it terrified him. "Since the gun hasn't been found the State Department and the SecNav are trying to find the best solution possible in the situation. No one saw Director Shepard at the pier and the footage at night is way too dark. Plus, without a definitive time of death…"

"So I have to sit here and rot while the brass smooth this over so Jenny can keep her job!" Tony shouted, tossing the bag nearly all the way off the table.

"Maybe by the end of the night they'll have a solution," Tim offered, trying to comfort him.

He didn't want comfort. Tony wanted out of this room. He wanted to go home and forget that this day had ever happened. He wanted Leah. Flopping down into the chair, Tony buried his face in his hands. "I'm not getting out of this one, Probie," he mumbled.

Tim could hear the despair in Tony's voice. It was even more present this time than when Abby's assistant had framed the former NCIS agent. At least then Tony had some spark left, some bite… this man sitting in the room with him was completely lost.

Someone entered the room behind him and Tim turned to see Fornell. Tony looked up as well and saw him standing there. His shoulders slumped even more as he rose, slipped his suit coat back on and stepped towards the door. "Sorry, Tony. You know the drill. Hopefully it's only for the one night."

* * *

Ziva watched from her desk as Leah emerged from the rest room. The young woman was dressed in a white, form-fitting blouse, tucked into a sleek black pencil skirt that hit just below her knees. Her golden brown hair was pulled back into a braid, and Ziva could instantly see why Tony was attracted her.

But what was it about this woman that made Tony _love _her? Sure, she was beautiful and came from money… but there had to be something other than her looks and her money that Tony had fallen in love with…

Langer came up besides her and leaned against her desk. "What's the matter, David? Jealous?" he asked with a knowing smile. When she blushed and looked away quickly, he knew he had her. "Ah come on, can't hide from me. You had a thing for DiNozzo, huh?"

"Yes, I had a _thing _for Tony," Ziva admitted. "But it would not have been appropriate to act on that _thing._"

"Right, well, maybe he would have been willing to act on it if you hadn't threatened him with a paper clip," Langer snarked as he went back to his desk.

Ziva glowered after him. What did it matter? Tony had moved onto the FBI, moved in with Leah… it was clear that he was taking this relationship with her seriously. She'd thought that once the whole thing with the Frog had blown over that Tony would have ended the relationship. It was after all built on a lie. It wasn't going to last. _No way it is going to last. _

Fornell and two police officers were escorting Tony to the elevator, but they allowed him to stop to say good-bye to Leah. Ziva watched as tears sprang in the young woman's eyes when she saw him and how he tried to smile for her but it wasn't quite reaching his eyes. As she watched Tony take Leah's face between his hands and kiss her, embrace her…Ziva suddenly knew—the relationship was going to last for a long, long time, no matter how much she wished it wasn't.

* * *

"Why are they doing this?" Leah whimpered, pressing her forehead into Tony's chest.

"Protocol," Tony whispered. He wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Hey, it's only for the night… I'll be home tomorrow. Agent McGee agreed to give you a ride back to our apartment, okay? Go home, get some sleep. I'll be fine."

Leah bit her lower lip, anxiously. She had called her father in a panic that afternoon. John didn't think that there was much of a leg to stand on in the case and he tried to assure her that everything was going to be okay. But she was having a hard time believing it. Tony had been locked up in that Interrogation room for hours, mostly alone, under observation by NCIS. "I just hate the thought of you alone in that cell."

Tony pulled her closer and kissed her temple. He really would be fine in that cell—as long as it was only for the night. If he had to go to jail, well… he knew what was going to happen to him. "One night, remember," he assured her, again. "Tomorrow I bet this is going to be nothing but a bad dream."

"Agent DiNozzo," one of the officers said, "We really need to be going."

"Okay," Tony whispered, he let go of Leah, kissed her on the forehead one last time and backed away.

"Sorry about this, sir," the officer said, softly as he wrapped Tony's hands behind his back and cuffed. "Protocol."

Tony tried to give her a smile as he was led away. Leah wished she could muster the strength to try to give him a smile back—but she couldn't. The sight of her Tony being led away in handcuffs tore her to pieces.


	35. A Loaded Gun

**Warnings:** Slight spoilers for "Internal Affairs"

**A/N:** Small chapter, I know, I apologize. Longer one is coming, promise! **Thank you everyone for your support last chapter :) Sorry if I didn't get to respond to you, but I did read you reviews and appreciate them :)**

* * *

It was not going to be a good day for Phillip Davenport if he was starting with an early morning visit from John Dawson. Especially since the visit was not a social call but a professional one on the behalf of his daughter.

He had been suspecting that Leah Dawson had called her father when Tony was led away in handcuffs. She wasn't stupid, she could very well see what was happening before her eyes and if she couldn't get Tony out of prison, well her father certainly could. Davenport not only had a public relations, diplomatic disaster on his hands, he also had a political one.

"I'm surprised, Phil," John said, watching Davenport's housekeeper pour him some coffee, "I figured you were a reasonable man."

"The decision to hold Agent DiNozzo overnight was not on my orders," Davenport said. "State Department needs someone held accountable for diplomacy."

John pursed his lips and waited until the housekeeper had left the office. "FBI allowed me to look over the evidence that was gathered against Anthony. It will barely hold up in court. That gun is clearly seen being put into Jennifer Shepard's bag, never touching the hand of its former owner again. From the moment it was placed in her bag to the moment it was used to kill Rene Benoit… no one knows its exact whereabouts. Not to mention, no one knows just when Rene died."

Davenport stirred his coffee. He knew he had a huge PR mess on his hands. And he knew that things were only going to get worse if this went to trial. "What do you want me to do, John? My hands are tied."

He sipped his coffee and leaned back in his seat. John really didn't want Davenport to do anything. He was just here as a courtesy call. "I don't want you to do anything, Phil. I just came by to let you know that if Tony sets one foot into a courtroom as a murder suspect in this case—you better believe I'll bring the full hammer down onto NCIS and Shepard. How would that look from a PR perspective?"

His jaw twitched ever so slightly. "I'll make sure I contact the Secretary of State this afternoon. Inform her that we have another suspect in the case," Davenport said. "I will also make sure that Agent DiNozzo is released, immediately."

John finished his coffee and stood, straightening his blazer. He held his hand out to Davenport and shook it. "Pleasure, as always, Phil."

Davenport gave him a half smile. "Anyone ever tell you, John, that you should go into politics?"

"Yes," John replied. "All the time."

"So why don't you?" Davenport asked.

"To be honest," the Boston lawyer said as he left the office, "too cutthroat for me, but maybe someday I'll throw my hat into the pool."

* * *

Gibbs was running on very little sleep. Watching Tony being led away in handcuffs—again—had driven him into overdrive. He had not forced his team to stay the night with him while he tried to find something to cast a shadow of doubt onto the belief that Tony murdered Benoit… but McGee had volunteered. Gibbs couldn't turn away the extra help especially when that help had the ability to track traffic cameras and find the Frog's limo _after _the explosion.

Establishing a timeline was going to be important in clearing Tony's name. And knowing that the Frog was still alive, visiting with his daughter at the time that Tony and Leah's flight took off from Dulles International Airport for Italy… well… it completely dispelled the belief that Tony had been the one to pull the trigger.

He made sure to send McGee home before daylight, so the young man could get some sleep. There was no telling how long their day was going to be or if they were going to be thrown a case of their own. Gibbs had just refueled with a few hours on an autopsy table and then his favorite brew at the coffee shop.

"Why am I not surprised to find you here?" Tobias Fornell snapped when he noticed Gibbs sitting at a table, smiling at him.

"Been up all night doing the same thing you were," Gibbs tossed out, casually as he sipped his coffee.

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Clearing Tony's name."

Fornell sighed, grabbed his own coffee and sat down at the table. "NCIS isn't supposed to be involved in this investigation. Davenport only requested that Tony be questioned by one of his agents as a courtesy between agencies. Still not sure what he was sniffing around looking for."

Gibbs frowned and handed the FBI agent a file. "Evidence that Jenny Shepard murdered Benoit. Here's the entire botched operation that Tony was involved in. Jenny was out for blood and she was going to get it no matter what the cost."

"Tony told me about the operation when he came to the FBI," Fornell said, opening the folder. He read briefly before remarking, "Although, he didn't say it was this bad."

"He had a target on his back for months. So didn't Leah," Gibbs replied. "Jenny took that gun, Tobias, and she used it to murder the Frog."

Fornell took a deep breath. He had known months ago when he'd met Gibbs the morning after Tony's car blew up in the streets that there was a lot more going on. Gibbs had been tight-lipped back then probably to protect Jenny. "We're still looking for the gun. Any idea where Jenny could have dumped it?"

Gibbs ground his teeth momentarily. "Probably in the river. By now it's probably been swept out to sea."

"No one reported the gun missing after DiNozzo resigned?"

"A report was filed that the gun was returned but no one can find the weapon."

"Any idea who filed that report?"

"Still working on that."

Fornell's cell phone rang. He glanced down to see that the number was from the State Department. "Great, they're probably wondering why the FBI hasn't formally charged Tony with murder yet," he mumbled as he walked away to answer the call.

Gibbs slumped down in his seat a little. When Tony had walked away from NCIS he had thought that perhaps this botched operation was behind them. He should have known better, he should have known that when Benoit disappeared that this was going to be the outcome. Now, they were desperately scrambling to keep Tony out of jail. He didn't deserve to go to prison for Jenny's thirst for blood.

"Huh," Fornell said, returning to the table. "State Department just told me to release DiNozzo—immediately."

"They give you any reason?" Gibbs asked, just as surprised as Fornell. Yesterday the State Department had been ready to hang Tony.

"Guess he lawyered up," the FBI agent said with a grin. "Pays off when your girlfriend's father is a prominent attorney with political aspirations."

"Still doesn't get Tony out of hot water—not yet," the former marine said. "We need that gun, Tobias."

"Then let's go find it," Fornell said, grabbing up his coffee and heading towards his car, Gibbs in tow. If they were going to clear Tony's name, they were going to have to do it together.

* * *

Tony shoved the key of his apartment into the lock and twisted it, almost so violently to the point that it nearly snapped in the doorknob. Pushing open the door, he stepped inside his apartment, slamming it shut.

His temper was in full swing thanks to a night of no sleep on a stiff cot in a holding cell. He hadn't showered, shaved or changed out of his clothes from the day before, and the only thing he had to eat was what the prison guards passed off as breakfast. Tony was relieved that the State Department had come to their senses and released him but that didn't mean he wasn't pissed for them leaving him to rot for the evening.

No doubt he had John Dawson to thank for his release. Leah was not stupid. She would have called her father immediately. And John wouldn't have been able to ignore his daughter's pleas for help nor the chance at sticking it to a federal agency. Right now, Tony wanted to stick it to Jenny and NCIS too. Not only had she turned his life upside down, she had turned Leah's upside down as well.

He tossed his coat onto the sofa and sat down, gently taking the ring box out of his pocket. Popping it open he looked at the diamond inside…

"Tony?" a sleepy voice from the bedroom called, "Is that you?"

"Yeah," he called back, quickly concealing the ring box in the cushions of his sofa.

Leah appeared in the living room, looking exhausted, run down. She was wearing a pair of leggings and one of his sweatshirts. Her eyes shown with relief though as a tired smile graced her features. She fell onto the sofa with him and snuggled against him.

Tony wrapped her into his arms, tightly and kissed the top of her head. Immediately he felt his body relaxing, the anger starting to fade now that he was home with her and holding her. "Told you it would only be for one night," he whispered.

She sighed and closed her eyes. "My father would have taken on the entire agency if you had spent more than one night in that holding cell," Leah told him. "He said there wasn't much of a case that they were just trying to make an example out of you so NCIS wouldn't become a mockery in the newspaper."

He rubbed her back. "Not sure how they're going to get around that now," Tony replied. "Unless Davenport removes Jenny Shepard as NCIS director."

"Do you think this is truly over now?"

"Oh, bella, I wish I could say that it was."

Leah just wanted this nightmare to end. It should have ended when Tony went to the FBI, when he put NCIS behind him. But it hadn't. The nightmare was only getting worse as the days wore on. Jenny Shepard had managed to wiggle her way out of not getting fired the last time, Leah was certain she'd find another way this time and then they were going to come after Tony again—lock him up in jail and let him rot for a crime he did not commit.

Tony continued to rub her back hoping to ease her tension. He hated how she had been dragged into all of this but at the same time he knew if he hadn't talked to her, they wouldn't be together. He would have gone through his life never knowing she existed. "You know… I could go for a group bath right about now," he mumbled into her hair.

She laughed, sleepily and raised her head. Pressing her lips to his in a tender kiss, she slid off the sofa and promised to get the bath ready. He watched her leave before he took the ring box out of the cushions and went back into the bedroom. He hid the box amongst his socks and underwear. Once this entire thing with NCIS and Jenny was over, he was taking her back to Paris, back to the spot that they had first kissed and he was going to ask her to marry him.

He was pretty certain that she'd say _yes _and just hearing her say that one little word was going to end this nightmare they were currently living. It was that simple.

"Tony?" Leah called from the bathroom. "Are you coming?"

"Yes," Tony responded, closing the drawer and unbuttoning his shirt. He had slipped it off when his phone alerted him to a new text message.

Grabbing the phone off the dresser he looked down and saw that it was from Fornell. _We found the gun. _

Tony felt his heart skip a few beats. Depending on where the gun was found, this whole thing could be over for him. _Where? _

_In a storm drain near where Benoit's yacht was docked. Lab lifted partial prints. They're a five point match to Jenny Shepard, _Fornell responded. _You and Leah should get down to NCIS. You're both murder witnesses now. _


	36. Confrontation

**Warnings: **None for this chapter.

**A/N: **See, I promised you a longer chapter was coming. Enjoy!

**E- **_Getting closer to Tony popping the big question every chapter ;)_

To the **Guest **that left the really nice, thoughtful review on Chapter 34, I totally forgot to thank you! And I promise, Jenny is not going to be getting away with murder in this story like she did in the show. Hope you have enjoyed the last couple of chapters :)

* * *

U.S District Attorney Samuel Clark was appalled that NCIS had let this go on for so long. After reading over the entire case he couldn't believe that Jenny Shepard still had her job. _Well, not after today she won't, _Clark thought as he waited in the conference room. _Phillip Davenport is going to have to suspend her at least pending this investigation and once the evidence nails her… he'll have to fire her. _

Slowly the door opened to the room and NCIS agent Jethro Gibbs escorted two people inside. Clark knew immediately that these were his star witnesses—Tony DiNozzo, the agent that Shepard had nearly gotten killed in her pursuit of Benoit—and Leah Dawson, the young woman that was almost collateral damage.

DiNozzo had since accepted a position at the FBI, having resigned from NCIS when the heat of Shepard's operation started to burn him. Clark could see that DiNozzo wasn't happy to be here, his athletically built body was tense. With good reason, DiNozzo had just spent the night in a holding cell because it was originally believed that _he _had been the one to murder Rene Benoit. "Special Agent DiNozzo, Miss Dawson, thank you for coming down here," Clark greeted them with a smile. He gestured for them to take a seat. "I promise that I will not take up a lot of your time."

Glancing, momentarily at Gibbs, DiNozzo sat down. He waited until his girlfriend had taken her seat as well before speaking. "Wasn't like we had much of a choice. You would have just subpoenaed us."

Clark chuckled, nervously. He could understand DiNozzo's hostile posture—wasn't like the system helped him yesterday. "Agent DiNozzo, I assure you, I'm not here to pin this crime on you. Clearly you were out of the country at the time of Mr. Benoit's murder. And you have a very credible witness to verify that," he said, pointing at Leah. "We're here because a woman gained too much power, went a little crazy with it and nearly killed you and Miss Dawson."

"If you're asking me to testify on Jenny's state of mind… I'm not a psychologist," DiNozzo pointed out.

"No. But I've been informed that you told Director Shepard on several occasions that your cover had been blown," Clark said. "I'm not just charging her with murder, but negligence—you could have been in that Mustang when it blew—if that had been the case I could have slapped her with _three _murder charges. Not to mention your assault by Benoit's men lands strictly on her for having you plant that GPS knowing full well that you were in danger."

DiNozzo's shoulders eased slightly. "Sounds great on paper, Mr. Clark. But can you make the charges stick?"

Clark nodded his head. "Absolutely. There's plenty of video footage of your car exploding. And once Miss Dawson takes the stand… the jury will be on my side. She's just like them, not a spy or federal agent, whose life was nearly taken away because of a woman's sick quest for revenge."

Leah hated the thought of being put on the stand. All those people looking at her, the questions… watching Tony's car blow up knowing that _they _were supposed to be inside… that _they _had been the targets. "Do you think Director Shepard will take a deal?"

"Unless Secretary Davenport convinces her, I doubt it," Clark said. "She's claiming her innocence."

"Finger prints matched hers," Leah said.

"Only a five point match. It might not hold up in court."

"But you just said…"

"Leah," DiNozzo whispered, hushing her. "It's not going to come to a trial."

Clark raised his eyebrows in question. "And you think that because?"

DiNozzo glared at him slightly. "The same reason that the State Department held me for so long—PR. They don't want NCIS to be dragged through the mud. They're going to have this be quietly handled, press will never get word of it and another Director will be named as if nothing was going on."

Leah looked up at Gibbs, leaning against the wall. His brow was furrowed and his was frowning at Tony. "What… what do you want us to do to help, Mr. Clark?" she asked, noticing the dark look in the NCIS agent's eyes.

"Review your statements," Clark said, "And then perhaps discuss the possibility of you testifying at the trial."

"Fine," DiNozzo said, firmly, "We'll help you. But can you make this quick? I've spent enough time confined because of this case."

"Okay… then let's start from the beginning…" Clark said, clicking his pen over his legal pad. By the end of this interview he planned to have everything to get a warrant for Shepard's arrest.

* * *

McGee was getting ready to head out and pick their lunch up when Tony suddenly stood in front of his desk. The slightly older man had a pensive look on his face, his green eyes intense with so many emotions, and he merely whispered, "Thanks. Gibbs told me what you did."

Ziva and Langer looked up from their paperwork. They'd heard the rumors that morning that the FBI had released Tony because his alibi checked out, but this was the last place that the pair of agents expected to see Tony—and they certainly didn't expect to see Leah with him. Ziva watched as McGee gave his former partner a soft smile and simply shrugged his shoulders. "Wanted to help," the junior agent replied.

"Yeah, well your help got me out of a prison sentence," Tony told him. "If you hadn't tracked Benoit's limo to his daughter's apartment while I was on a flight to Italy…"

"Gibbs wanted to have your back. So did I. We dropped the ball when you were here," McGee confessed, slightly embarrassed.

Langer blinked, surprised. "When did you track Rene Benoit's limo?"

McGee swallowed and looked at Langer, sheepishly. "I stayed to help Gibbs last night."

Tony could see that Ziva was on the brink of losing her temper with McGee. Langer just shrugged it off but Ziva… she was going to be pissed that Gibbs and McGee had been working on his case behind her back. She hated it when people kept secrets from her… "Anyways, thanks, Tim. I owe you one, okay?" he said before the Mossad officer could go off the rails. He slipped McGee one of his new FBI cards. "Call me if you need me."

"Sure, thanks… thanks Tony," McGee said, watching as Tony smiled at him softly and turned to go. He noticed that Ziva's nostrils flared slightly.

"I would have helped too," Ziva pointed out. "But I was not asked."

Langer rolled his eyes. Didn't she know that wasn't how Gibbs operated? He didn't ask for help. You had to volunteer, offer it. "Doesn't look like Gibbs and McGee needed your help anyways, David."

Ziva glared at him. "All I am saying is that Tony is my friend and I would have liked to have been asked to help."

"Give it up, Ziver. Langer's right," Gibbs said entering the bullpen. He looked at Tony and Leah. "Need a ride back to your apartment?"

"No, thank you," Tony said with a shake of his head. "The U.S Attorney arranged for transportation."

Gibbs held his hand out to Tony. "It was nice seeing you, DiNozzo. Don't be a stranger, okay?"

Tony was confused. Was Gibbs being nice to him? Slowly he shook his former boss' hand. "Yeah. It was… it was nice seeing you too, Gibbs."

For a second the former marine smiled at him, then he pat him on the shoulder and went towards his desk. Tony glanced at Leah briefly and started towards the elevator but the couple was startled to learn that Jenny Shepard and Phillip Davenport stood in their path. Shepard looked ready to pounce and Davenport, well…he looked like he just wanted to get the hell out of Dodge...

"I hear you're accusing me of murder," Jenny snarled at Tony. "Is this your way of getting back at me?"

"My gun was found with your prints on it," Tony snapped back. "Pretty easy conclusion to draw."

"Of course my prints are on it! I brought it back to the armory!" Jenny shouted. "Everyone knows you're setting me up! You want to get back at me for what you think was nearly ruining your life. Your life doesn't look so bad to me, _Agent _DiNozzo."

Tony set his jaw. "You did nearly ruin my life. In case you forgot, someone had my car blown up... most likely the CIA because they needed to get rid of me and stop your operation. But I'm not like you, _Director _Shepard. I knew when to walk away from this whole thing. And killing Rene Benoit... was the last thing on my mind as I fled the States to save my life."

Davenport gently grabbed her by the arm when he saw the fire burning in Jenny's eyes. He had hoped they could avoid this entire confrontation, and he hoped to avoid it with such an audience around. "Director, you've been asked to leave NCIS and go home, impending further investigation."

Jenny threw him off of her. "This will never hold up in court," she growled at Tony, jabbing a finger at him. "There's no solid evidence! I'm not doing one day in jail for that bastard's death! A person that deserved to die a long time ago for all the people he killed! If anyone is going down for this, it will be you!"

Tony glared at her, tightened his hold on Leah's hand. "Threatening me now, Jenny? In front of all these people? Not to mention... you better be careful, Jenny, or people will think you sound like someone that wanted Benoit dead. And that _Director _will probably hold up in court. It's called motive."

Leah tugged him back slightly, half expecting Jenny to slug him and she didn't entirely trust the woman. She had hurt Tony before, maybe not physically yet, but Leah was not going to take the chance. "Tony? Can we go home now? I'm tired."

"Yeah. We're finished here," Tony assured her. He led her past Davenport and Shepard and towards the elevator, not even looking back once before getting inside.

"Jenny," Davenport said after the couple was gone, "please go with the agents—home—and stay there until further notice."

As unhappy as she was with the entire situation, Jenny let the two agents assigned to keep her under house arrest escort her out of the building. Davenport let out a large sigh before turning to look at Gibbs. "She's completely off her rocker, now, Jethro."

Gibbs nodded, slightly. "What do you want us to do, sir?"

Davenport looked at the team. "Work with the FBI and put an end to this."

* * *

Leah had left Tony sleeping on the couch and gone out to pick up something for dinner. After the emotional and trying day they both had neither one of them was up for cooking. After leaving NCIS Tony had gone to the FBI and picked up some case reports and put in for some time off. He had mentioned about taking a trip to Paris.

Paris felt like a lifetime ago, when their eyes had met at that flower cart—back then she didn't think that anything was going to go this far. But it had, and she loved Tony more than anything. _A romantic getaway in Paris is just what we need, _she thought as she stepped into the little café. Instantly the smell of garlic hit her senses and her stomach grumbled, reminding her that she had not eaten properly in the last two days.

She smiled at the young kid behind the counter and placed her order. Sitting down in a nearby chair she pulled a book from her bag and began to read while she waited for their food. Leah was totally lost in the pages when someone cleared their throat and said her name to get her attention. Curious she looked up from her reading and saw Jeanne standing there. "Jeanne… what are you… what are you doing here?"

"Transferred hospitals. I was on my way home from work when I saw you come in here," Jeanne replied. "Are you… are you living around here now?"

"I moved in with Tony a month ago," Leah told her. "We live a few blocks from here."

"He murdered my father," Jeanne snarled.

Leah clung to her book. She shook her head. "No. He didn't. We were in Italy…"

Jeanne cut her off, tears springing into her eyes, "But he knew… he knew that woman was after Papa… and he did _nothing._"

"That isn't true… he tried to get NCIS to back off…"

"Of course you believe his lies! You were always so gullible! Especially when it came to love! He's just as guilty of murder as Director Shepard is!"

Leah watched helplessly as Jeanne spun on her heel and left the café. Tony was a good man, he had done everything in his power to protect her when that operation had gone to hell… _he did everything to protect you but not Rene. _And was Jeanne right? Had Tony lied to her about attempting to get Director Shepard to back off? He had been furious when she had gone to Jenny and pleaded with her to stop the operation…

It didn't matter that Rene was an evil man, he still didn't deserve to be executed. Tony could have done…something more…right? To prevent it all from happening? _Stop it! _She chided herself, _stop it right now! Tony is a good agent! A good man! He did everything he could to stop that operation! He loves you! _

"Miss?" a voice said, "Your food is ready."

"Oh," she said, wiping away her tears. She shoved her book back into her bag, paid for their food, and snatched the take out up, fleeing the café. "Thank you!"

Leah tried to stop the doubtful thoughts in her brain as she hurried back to the apartment. But she couldn't. They kept playing out in her head over and over again and by the time she made it home—tears were running down her cheeks.

Tony was awake and noticed immediately. "Bella… what happened?"

She sniffed and put the food down onto the counter. "She called you… she called you a murderer."

He was confused. "Who did?"

"Jeanne. She saw me in the café… she said you were just as guilty as Director Shepard for murdering her father!"

"She's grieving, Leah… people say things they don't mean when they're grieving."

Leah wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. "I know you did everything you could to stop that operation! It's not your fault!"

Tony went to hold her, letting her settle against his shoulder and sniffle. He ran his fingers through her hair. "Maybe I could have done more, maybe if I had left sooner… who knows. I highly doubt it would change the outcome. Jenny wanted him dead."

She stopped crying and clung to him, tightly. "When… when are we going to Paris?"

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "Friday. Our flight leaves Dulles at six."

"Good. I can't wait to get out of here," she whispered.

_And I can't wait to call you my fiancée, _he thought, giving her a tight hug. "We should eat."

Leah sighed and let go of him, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes. She turned towards the food but then turned back quickly. "Tony… I never… I don't think you are murderer, or a bad person… you're a good agent, an even better man… I just… I'm tired and I let her put that little seed of doubt in my head. Can you… can you forgive me for even considering it for five minutes?"

Tony reached out and took her gently by the shoulders. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, lovingly. "Already forgotten, bella." Pulling back he smiled at her for good measure and then took her by the hand into the kitchen were they sat, eating their take out food and planning for their upcoming trip to Paris.

* * *

Jethro was just about to call it a night and head down into his basement to work on his latest boat when the front door swung open.

Tobias stalked into his living room, snarling, and spitting venom. "That woman won't take a deal. She'd rather this go to trial and drag Tony through the mud with her! This is insane, Jethro! No way a jury finds her not guilty! Especially when they see all the evidence we've found stacked against her!"

"No one ever said that Jenny was thinking with a clear head," Jethro replied. He went to his refrigerator and grabbed a couple of beers. "What happens now?"

"U.S Attorney arraigned her this afternoon, she made bail of course," Tobias replied. "Judge ordered her to wear a monitoring bracelet."

Jethro opened the beers and handed one to Tobias. He sat down on the sofa with his friend. "As long as she stays away from Tony and Leah…"

Tobias sipped his beer. "Tony asked for some time off. FBI granted it, probably feeling lucky that Tony didn't sue our asses for false arrest. He's taking the girl to Paris, Jenny would be breaking a lot of restrictions if she were to follow them there."

"Good. They need the time away," Jethro remarked.

"Do you know where he was the day I brought him in?"

"No. He never said anything. I never asked."

Tobias took a large swig of his beer, and sighed, "Jewelry store, Jethro. I managed to get it out of Debra—he bought the girl a ring."

Jethro smiled as he lifted his beer bottle to his lips. "Good for you, Tony," he whispered. "Good for you."


	37. One Piano and a Watch

**Warnings:** Slight spoilers for "SWAK", heavier on the "T" side at the end because of implied sexual situations, nothing explicit.

**A/N:** I have another chapter for you to wrap up the weekend. Don't know when I'll be posting again, have a busy week ahead. Real life sometimes just gets in the way of writing fanfic lol.

**E- **_Ziva is a tricky character for me to write, honestly. Gibbs would not have asked for help, he doesn't when they're working on cases, so I agree, if she had wanted to help Tony she should have volunteered to help. As for Jenny, yeah she's nuts lol, but she isn't getting away with murder._

**None-**_ Tony already has his own team at the FBI, so calling McGee and asking him to his second in command would make no sense at this point. He left the card for Tim incase Tim needs help, so theoretically if Tim wanted out of NCIS, Tim could call Tony and see if Tony could help him get a job at the FBI._

* * *

Tony got up early the next morning, dressed in his best suit, and quietly left the apartment without disturbing Leah. He hailed a cab to the Adams House Hotel and nervously went over what he was going to say in his head to John Dawson when he asked permission to marry the man's daughter.

It was the last piece to this whole proposal puzzle. They planet tickets to Paris were booked, the hotel room reserved. Tony knew exactly the spot he was going to take her to get down on one knee… now he just needed her father's blessing to take Leah's hand.

John was seated at a small table in the hotel's restaurant, drinking coffee and eating a raisin bran muffin. He had _The Washington Post _in front of him and looked more imposing than Tony had remembered him to be. Swallowing the nervous bile in his throat, Tony fixed his suit coat and sat down at the table with a soft _hello. _

"Ah, Anthony," John said with a smile, putting the newspaper down. "I was just reading about Jennifer Shepard's arrest in the paper."

"Looks like you won't have to go after NCIS after all," Tony pointed out.

"Yes, but it would have been fun," John said as he took a sip of his coffee. "What can I do for you this morning, Anthony?"

Tony took deep breath. It was now or never, and he really needed to do it now since his was leaving for Paris in a few days. "You have to know how I feel about Leah, sir. She means the world to me and then some… I've been… I've been thinking about this for a while and I… sir I would like your permission to take your daughter's hand in marriage."

John paused and for a few moments Tony feared the worst—that the man was going to reject him. But then a smile spread across the lawyer's face, and he replied, "Yes, of course, Anthony you can ask her to marry you. I know you will take good care of my little girl and that's all any man wants for their daughter. Someone to give her the world, to protect her and support her—you do all of those things already, Anthony."

He felt the weight of the world lift off his shoulders. Tony sighed, happily. "Thank you, sir. I was… well, I was nervous you would say _no._"

"Anthony, I'm going to let you in on a little secret," John said, grinning, "You're the first boyfriend that Leah has brought home that I liked."

"Really?"

"Oh yes, really. A father wants to see a man with direction in his life, solid footing—not some weed smoking hippie."

Tony found it hard to believe that Leah had dated a hippie, but he smiled none-the-less. "Glad I fit the profile for marriage into the Dawson family material."

John chuckled. "You've grounded my girl, Anthony. She needed that. I love her, dearly, but that child would have spent the rest of her life digging around in ancient burial grounds, dating whomever she pleased if she hadn't met you. Now, I assume that you have your entire proposal all worked out—tell me about it."

With a beaming smile, Tony proceeded to tell John his plans for asking Leah to marry him.

* * *

Ducky invited him to lunch. No one really invited him out for lunch. Gibbs knew that something had to be bothering the medical examiner if he had extended such an invitation to the team leader. So, they now sat outside in the sunshine, watching passing businessmen and tourists. "Something on your mind, Duck?" the former marine asked half-way through the meal when their chatter had been nothing but small talk.

Slowly, Ducky put his fork down onto his plate. "I have been disturbed by Jenny's actions for quite some time, Jethro. As a field agent, she never would have left Tony without back-up like that, nor would she have let that operation go on for as long as it did. Something has impaired her judgment."

Gibbs was a bit surprised by that last statement. "Impaired her judgment? Like she's drinking or doing some kind of heavy duty drug?"

"No, nothing of the sort, Jethro," Ducky said with a shake of his head. "I think she is ill."

"Oh, well anyone could have told you that," Gibbs said going back to his lunch. "She hasn't been right in the head since she took the big chair."

"I didn't mean mentally ill, Jethro… although one could argue that."

"So what did you mean?"

Ducky looked at him seriously. "Do you remember when Anthony had the plague?"

Gibbs frowned. "How could I forget? He nearly died."

"Yes, and the woman that sent that terrible letter suffered from a brain tumor," Ducky pointed out. "It made her judgment impaired, drove her to delusion and insanity. Do you get what I'm saying, Jethro? Jenny has acted the same way—delusional, obsessed, violent… not only should she be questioned by a psychologist she should also be looked at by a doctor."

"Are you trying to tell me that she didn't know right from wrong, Duck?" Gibbs asked, feeling slightly angry that there could be a way out for Jenny. "She had to have known that her actions were going to lead Tony to trouble. What would have happened had Tony and Leah been killed in that explosion? She showed very little remorse for what happened to Tony… but even she has to be aware of what she did was wrong."

Ducky sighed. He understood Gibbs frustration. He wanted Jenny to pay for what she had done and he wanted to keep Tony safe. "Precisely, Jethro. She showed no remorse for her actions. She thinks that Rene Benoit's death is justified, that what Tony went through was just a means to an end. I'm not saying she doesn't understand that murdering a man is wrong… clearly she does… I'm just saying that I do not think she is entirely responsible for her actions."

Gibbs suddenly wasn't hungry anymore. Could it be possible that a brain tumor had turned Jenny into the mess of a woman that had been led away yesterday? He had been looking for answers as to why Jenny had gone so far to get Benoit. "She still killed him, Duck. Plain and simple. With her mind so warped I'm afraid that Tony could be next if he's not careful."

"She did seem to lay a lot of blame on Anthony," Ducky pointed out. "Her lawyers are not going to leave it alone. I hope Anthony is ready for a fight."

"He is," Gibbs said, softly. "He's been ready for one the moment that operation went south."

"And Leah… is she ready? The girl has stood by him through so much but at some point…"

"No. She won't leave him… not the type. She'll see it through to the end with him."

Ducky nodded and pushed his plate away from him. "It is good to know that Anthony has someone that loves and supports him. When he spoke of her a year ago I thought something was different about her."

Gibbs looked at the older man, curious. "Tony talked to you about Leah?"

"He didn't use her name," Ducky said. "But it is easy to piece together that the woman he spoke so fondly of is Leah."

"She's good for him, Duck," Gibbs said as his phone rang. He glanced at it to see it was Langer. "Hope he doesn't screw it up with her."

Ducky was more concerned that Jenny was going to be the cause of Anthony and Leah's relationship crumbling. If his theories of a brain tumor were correct, than Jenny's ability think rationally was gone. She had no moral code anymore, the tumor having blocked those signals in the brain. He always did say head trama was a tricky business… tumors included.

Gibbs snapped his phone shut and threw some money on the table. "Gotta go, Duck. Dead body found behind a slum bar in Baltimore."

"Just when I thought we were going to get through the day without any death," Ducky sighed, standing. He took a deep breath and followed Gibbs to the car. "Duty calls."

"No one said this job was easy," Gibbs muttered getting behind the wheel. As he thought about what Tony had been through in the last year, he added, "Some times it sucks."

* * *

Tony came home to find his bed covered with suitcases. "Leah? What's all this?"

Leah popped out of the bathroom, dressed in short athletic shorts and a thin camisole. "I started packing." She saw that he was dressed in one of his suits. "Why are you dressed up? Did you go into work?"

He loosened his tie and then slipped out of his jacket. "Had a meeting to attend," Tony lied to her, with a smile for good measure. "I see you're in your underwear, Miss Dawson, some might say you were hoping to seduce me."

She smiled at him, a flirty twinkle in her eyes. "And so what if I am?" Leah asked as she ran her tongue over her lips and stepped closer to him, swaying her hips slightly.

Tony felt his breath hitch. He unbuttoned his shirt and tossed a broad grin in her direction. "Well then, who am I to complain?" he asked, reaching out and grabbing her waist. He pulled her towards him and brought his lips to hers in a soft kiss. "If we do this, we're going to have to move those suitcases and mess up whatever system you have for packing, bella."

Leah sighed and ran her hand up his bare chest. "Mmmm, who says we have to do this on the bed?"

"And where… dear lady… do you suggest we do it?" Tony asked, feeling his heart beating wilding in his chest.

"I've always had this fantasy of us on the piano bench," Leah replied in a husky whisper.

Tony moaned, softly as her fingers traced imaginary patterns on his chest. "Really? Where else have you fantasized about us—," he said, but was cut off when her mouth pressed his in a passionate kiss. _Screw it. I can find out the other places later. _

He let his hands slid up her slender body and underneath her camisole, delighted to find that she did not have a bra on. That was going to make his job of getting her naked as fast as possible a whole lot easier. Slipping the thin shirt over her head as he broke their kiss, he grinned at her wickedly before he guided her out into the living room, remaining clothing flying in all directions as they went.

One way or another they made it to his piano bench, where she murmured that she pictured them naked on it every so often when he sat down and played. Knowing that she had pictured them in this very spot heightened his desire. Everything about this encounter was heightening his desire. The feel of her skin against him, the feel of the leather underneath him and the loud _clang _of several of the keys going off every time his body slammed into them. The mixture of temperatures, of her hot skin on top of him while he was sprawled out over the cool ivory, sent tingles through his body.

Leah knew exactly what she wanted from him, but even then it was turning out better than her fantasy. The sound of the piano, their heavy breaths between hot kisses, the gentle breeze blowing in from the open window… anyone on the street could probably look up and see them… that made this encounter even more urgent, passionate and thoroughly mind blowing. By the time it was done, and they were sitting there trying to catch their breaths and reveling in pure satisfaction… she closed her eyes and sighed.

Tony pushed her sweaty hair back. His heart rate was starting to slow but it was still rapidly beating and his breaths were still coming in as gasps. She was going to have to divulge her other fantasies to him because that… that had been some of the hottest sex they'd hate to date. And he certainly was never going to look at his piano the same ever again…

Someone knocked on their door, startling the young lovers. They quickly scrambled to part and find their clothing that was all over the living room. "I'm coming!" Tony gasped, sliding into his pants and an undershirt. Leah giggled behind him and he realized the double meaning… especially since… well it had only been a movement ago that the pair had been in middle of the throes of passion on his piano bench. He shot her a glare while he struggled to get to the door and she disappeared with nothing but her boy shorts on back into the bedroom.

On the other side of the door the mailman looked slightly embarrassed. "Ah, saw your car in the lot, Tony. You have… you have a package here… thought I'd, ah, bring it up to you so no one takes it…"

"Thanks Jerry," Tony said taking the mail. He threw him a soft smile as a blush crept to his cheeks. "Sorry you had to, um… well… you know…"

"Don't worry about it. Wouldn't be the first couple I've interrupted," Jerry said with an even deeper blush coloring his cheeks. "Stories we mail carriers could tell…"

Tony chuckled nervously, thanked him again and closed the door. He frowned at the package. He hadn't ordered anything recently.

Leah appeared in the doorway to the bedroom, fully dressed and hair tied back into a bun. "What did you get?"

"Don't know. It's from… it's from a jewelry store downtown," Tony admitted. He found a pair of scissors in the kitchen and opened the package.

Inside was a Rolex box. Tony's watch had been destroyed in the car explosion and he had yet to replace it. There just hadn't been much time, no pun intended, or the desire to replace. He carefully opened the box and looked at the beautiful watch inside. Was this an early birthday present from his father? It seemed highly unlikely since Senior usually was months late with his gifts…

But a Rolex watch was just something his father would do, Tony decided as he gently took the watch out to further inspect it. He quickly learned that it wasn't from his father, when he spied the inscription on the back. _To my love, Tony, with all of mine, Leah. _"Did you… where did you get the money for this?" he asked, watching the smile form on her face.

Leah came into the kitchen and clasped the watch around his wrist. "I've been saving for months, even before the explosion claimed your watch. Moving in with you gave me a little extra cash to have it inscribed."

Tony pressed his lips to hers. "You didn't have to do this, bella. Having you in my life is enough. I don't need fancy watches or gifts from you."

"But I wanted to do it, Tony. You bring me flowers and gifts all the time," Leah argued with him. "I wanted to show my love in a similar fashion. Do you… do you like it?"

"Yes, I've never had such a beautiful gift," Tony replied, smiling at her. "Or such a beautiful woman."

Leah smiled, coyly at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him down for a kiss. "Good. I'm glad you like it."

Tony kissed her, wanting to drown in her all afternoon. He knew that they had a lot more to do before their trip, but he wanted to explore some more of those fantasies she had. Packing was just going to have to wait.

* * *

_Paris is happening in the next chapter ;) You know what that means..._


	38. Marry Me

**Warnings:** None for this chapter, except some cheesy romance.

**A/N:** I fought with this chapter. Hope you still like it even if it's not up to my usual standards. Enjoy!

**E-** _Proposal is here! Hope you like it :) _

**None-** _Always people that Tony is going to have to look out for. As for Tim, I guess it would depend on what job he was offered at the FBI if it is considered a demotion or not. I really just had Tony give him the card in case Tim needs help from a friend :)_

* * *

Ducky had just finished the autopsy on their latest victim—a poor marine involved in a bar fight who had died from blunt force trauma—when his phone rang. Leaving Jimmy to deal with the clean up and the body, he tossed his gloves into a trashcan and answered. "This is Doctor Mallard."

"_Oh good, Donald. Did I catch you at a bad time?" _Doctor Elizabeth Hamilton asked. "_I ordered those tests like you requested. Results came back today."_

"No, this is not a bad time," Ducky replied, sitting down at his desk. "I just finished up what I was doing and was about to finalize a report… but that can wait. Tell me… is it what we feared, Doctor?"

Elizabeth sighed, heavily. "_Yes. There is a decent sized tumor on her frontal lobe. It would explain the rash, often violent behavior certainly."_

Ducky frowned. He hated it when his gut was right. "What is the recommended course of treatment?"

"_The tumor will have to be removed. And then chemotherapy, probably for at least two rounds to make sure we get all the cancer cells," _Elizabeth replied. "_I've spoken with the U.S Attorney and he is going to have her psych evaluation moved up to today so the operation can happen immediately. I've read up on the case, Donald. I feel terrible that I did not catch onto this sooner… for your agent's sake."_

"Believe me, Elizabeth there is nothing you could have done," Ducky assured her. "I see her everyday and I did not make the connection until a rather nasty outburst towards Agent DiNozzo where she claims to have done no wrong, even with all the evidence stacked against her. The important thing is that we try and help her now, before it gets to be worse and she hurts other people."

Elizabeth concurred. "_Depending on the outcome of her psych evaluation, this might not get her out of jail." _

Ducky sighed once again. "Yes. I am very well aware of that. But it might get her a lesser sentence." He thanked Elizabeth for the call and hung up. He looked up to see Jimmy glaring at him behind his glasses. "Something the matter Mister Palmer?"

Jimmy nodded. "Yes! Director Shepard almost got Tony killed! And then she didn't even help him when the FBI had him in custody for murder! She deserves to go to jail. I don't care if the brain tumor affected her judgment or not—she still murdered a man and she still put Tony, and Leah's lives in danger."

"If there had been no tumor there is a good chance she would not have done those things," Ducky pointed out.

"And there is also the chance that she still might have," Jimmy argued. "Either way… she was obsessed and her obsession hurt people."

"There doesn't seem to be an easy solution to any of this, Mister Palmer," Ducky said, sadly.

"Yeah," Jimmy breathed, "I guess not, and you know what—that really sucks, Doctor Mallard."

Ducky watched him walk away, sighing as the young man left, "Indeed it does, Mister Palmer. Indeed it does."

* * *

Gibbs was surprised when Sam Clark called and asked to see him. He met with the U.S Attorney downtown while his team continued to work on their case. "Is there something I can do for you, Mister Clark?"

Clark looked up from his lunch and gestured for Gibbs to sit down. "Jennifer Shepard had her psychological evaluation today. I had the pleasure of getting to listen in on it with the FBI. While the brain tumor certainly impaired her judgment and impacted her moral code… she clearly knows right from wrong."

He blinked, confused. Had he heard the younger man right? "Brain tumor?" Gibbs repeated.

"You didn't know?"

"No. Doctor Mallard had only theorized that it was a tumor the last time I checked."

Clark wiped the corners of his mouth with the cloth napkin on the table. "Her primary physician ordered tests. The scans came back with a moderate sized tumor on her frontal lobe. It would explain her irrational, impulsive behavior, could also explain why she has justified the killing of Rene Benoit and her treatment of Special Agent DiNozzo."

Gibbs winced thinking about what Tony had gone through in the last year, the last few months especially. "So what happens now? If she knew right from wrong then she's component to stand trial."

"Her lawyer has asked for the latest trial date as we can possibly get," Clark replied. "I had no objections. She'll go through inpatient treatment and when she's well enough the trial can begin. I'm sorry, Agent Gibbs," he said, when saw the pensive look that came over the agent's face, "I understand that this is not what you would want, but it is the best that I can do."

"What happens if she never is well enough to stand trial?" Gibbs asked. "Does she just get away with it, Mister Clark?"

Clark swallowed, nervously. "I'm hoping that once the tumor is removed she'll be a bit more rational and take a deal. Doctors tell me that she could return to normal brain function once the cancer has been treated."

Gibbs scoffed. What was _normal _brain function?

"I was hoping you could help me get in touch with Agent DiNozzo and let him know. I haven't had any luck."

"Tony's away. In Paris. He won't be back until next week."

"Well… it's not urgent…"

"Are we done here, Mister Clark? I have a case that needs my attention."

Clark shook his head. "I have nothing else for you. Just wanted to give you the heads up."

Gibbs grumbled and got to his feet. "Yeah, thanks for that," he mumbled before storming off.

* * *

Tony could not have asked for a more picture perfect day. It was sunny and warm; he had on a white polo shirt and jeans, showing off his brand new watch. They'd had lunch at the café he'd brought her to on the day they met, stopped at the very flower cart that he'd bought her lilies at when he first saw her, and now they were strolling along the river, hand in hand, making their way to the spot that he had kissed her for the very first time.

Leah looked radiant in a mint green sundress; her golden brown hair was pulled back in a loose, low ponytail, with a few wispy pieces at her temples and falling across her forehead. She had been incredibly relaxed in Paris. Smiling more, laughing more. The time away was just what she needed—what they both needed—to separate themselves from the trouble back home.

He was happy that he could give her this reprieve. Tony loved making her happy and he wanted to make her happy for the rest of his life. He just prayed that she would grant him the chance…

"Stop here for a second," Tony urged her, gently as they crossed a footbridge over the river. "Do you recognize this place, bella?"

"It's where you kissed me for the first time," Leah said, smiling at him lovingly. "How could I ever forget?"

"True, I have been told I'm an excellent kisser," Tony joked.

Leah giggled and stepped closer to him. "Are you going to kiss me now?"

Tony smiled at her, basking in the glow of her beauty. Gently he reached into his pocket and found the ring box. When he had proposed to Wendy he had gone all out—roses, tuxedo, candlelight—often times he wondered if that had been too much—this time he was going to make the proposal more meaningful and less showy. "I wanted to give you something first," he whispered, concealing the box in his hand.

She continued to smile at him. "But you already bought me flowers and paid for lunch and took me on a romantic get away to Paris—what more could you possible want to give me, Tony?"

He contemplated his answer for a moment. There were so many things that he wanted to give her besides the ring—safety, happiness, family—where did he even begin to tell her what he wanted to give her? His eyes rested on her face, his hand letting go of hers and brushing the stray pieces of hair out of her own eyes. "There are so many things I want to give you, Leah. Maybe we should start simple."

Leah was slightly confused. They had moved well beyond simple gifts and gestures a long time ago. "Simple?" she repeated, wanting to make sure she had heard him right.

Tony nodded his head. "Yes. Simple. First, I want to give you a safe place to come home to every night. And not just physically—I want to give you somewhere that you feel that you can just be you, that you can say what needs to be said without fearing the response. I want to give you happiness because above all else, you deserve to be happy, bella. I want to give you a home, filled with love and family."

"We have a home, Tony and we've made it ours. I'm confused… what _exactly_ do you want to give me?"

"Leah… please stop making this difficult."

"Ok… so you want to give me a home… are we buying a house?"

He took a deep breath. It was hard enough getting through this and she wasn't making things any easier. "Leah, darling, please, please stop talking for a moment, okay?"

She looked at him, seriously, her smile faded. "Tony? Is everything okay?"

Tony gently grinned at her, to ease her worries. "Everything is perfect, Leah. In fact, it's beyond perfect. It has been for a while… except not being able to give you all those things I mentioned." When she opened her mouth to argue with him, he placed a finger on her lips. "Shh. I said no talking," he instructed her, chuckling when she rocked back on her heels a little and pouted. "But I figured out a way that I _can _give you all those things, Leah."

Carefully he opened the ring box and got down on one knee. Suddenly he could tell that Leah understood what was happening. Her eyes went wide and she dropped her lilies as she covered her mouth with her hand. Tony smiled at her. "Leah, let me give you all those things. Will you marry me?"

Her eyes filled with tears—happy tears— as a beaming smile crossed her face. Leah nodded her head, and she exclaimed, "Yes, Tony, yes."

His hand trembled slightly as he slipped the ring on her finger. Shoving the ring box back into his pocket, Tony stood, cupping her face between his hands and kissing her, hungrily. When he pulled back he wiped her tears away and whispered, "I love you," before kissing her again.

Leah's arms wrapped around his neck and she stepped closer to him, feeling and hearing the crunch of the flowers she crushed underneath her. "Oh no!" she cried, stepping back, "my flowers!"

Tony laughed and kissed her cheek. "Don't worry, bella, I'll buy you more. I'll buy you lots more. Are you happy?"

"Yes," she whispered. "Are you happy?"

"Oh yes," he said. "Very, very happy."

* * *

Later that afternoon, the scent of fresh lilies filling their hotel room, Tony opened his eyes. Leah was fast asleep underneath his arm, her hand resting on his chest as she laid on her side, curled up against him.

Tony ran his fingers softly through her hair. A year ago when he would wake up from late afternoon love making, he never imagined the relationship going this far. He knew back then that she was different, that she was special, but at that point a year ago he didn't realize just _how _special she was. It was a little surreal that she was going to become his wife, but there was proof of it on her finger in a sparkling blue diamond.

He kissed her hands, softly. He watched her eyes flutter, her lashes fanned out over her ivory cheeks. She was the first woman that he truly enjoyed waking up next too. "Bella, wake up."

She murmured and burrowed into the cotton sheets. Tony kissed her behind her ear, coaxing her to wake up. "Please, bella. I'd like to take my fiancée out for a nice, romantic dinner in Paris."

Leah slowly opened her eyes and smiled, sleepily at him. "Hi."

"Good afternoon, Sleeping Beauty."

"How long did we sleep?"

"Couple of hours."

"And what was that about you wanting to take me to dinner?"

Tony laughed and tucked her hair behind her ears. "I think we need to celebrate properly."

Leah continued to grin at him, a sparkle in her eyes. "But I thought we did celebrate properly two hours ago?"

"Oh well… yes… we did… and it was a highly enjoyable experience," Tony quipped, pressing his lips to hers in a quick kiss. "But I want to show off my bride to be."

"Ah, since you put it that way," Leah teased. "How can I resist a night out on the town in Paris?"

Tony crawled out of the bed and held his hand out to her. "You know, Miss Dawson, if we decide to shower... it would go a lot faster if you would join me."

Leah took his hand and allowed him to pull her, gently, out of the bed and into his arms. "You know if we're going to shower… if I do it with you we'll never get out of this hotel room, and well… I'm kind of hungry. You work up quite the appetite in me."

"Do I now?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows and tickling her ribs.

"Anthony!" she giggled, "Stop! I want to go to that sweet little bistro… you remember don't you? The live music, the candlelight, how romantic it was? It gets packed quickly but it's the perfect place for us to go to celebrate...I think I fell in love with you there."

Tony kissed her cheek. He did remember that bistro. It was the first night that he realized that he could see himself falling in love with her. To know that the small café has special meaning to Leah too, warmed his heart. "You know something, bella," he whispered, giving her a kiss. "I think I fell in love with you there too."

Leah felt her heart flutter. She had been shocked when Tony had gotten down on one knee on that footbridge and proposed. But the answer had not been shocking. She'd known for a while now that they were meant to be together. It was just a matter of time until he gave her a ring. And she loved her ring. It was beautiful, it was perfect and it was from the love of her life. She would proudly wear that ring to let the whole world know that she was Tony's. "You know… we could always get room service…"

He chuckled. "Clever… but another time perhaps… can you sue a guy for wanting to show off his gorgeous girl?"

She smiled. "Ok, when you put it that way… I better go get ready."

Tony let her go, watched as she grabbed a dress from her garment bag and then disappeared into the bathroom. While she was getting ready he dressed in a black suit with a black tie and white dress shirt. He fastened his watch around his wrist, smiling at it with affection. He hadn't been devastated when he lost his other watch in the car explosion, that had been just an average, everyday watch… but this one… this one had been given to him with love. It would crush him if he ever lost it—it would crush him if he ever lost Leah. He wasn't one to believe in fate or destiny… however, it felt like this had been fate. And he was just happy that fate decided to intervene and push him in the right direction—to bring her into his life, because now he couldn't imagine a single day without her.

* * *

_There will be more in Paris, but I hope this wasn't too cheesy for you :)_


	39. Hurtful Past

**Warnings:** None for this chapter, except some slight spoilers for "SWAK".

**A/N:** Hello everyone, filler chapter :). I know I said there was going to be more of Paris but the muse went elsewhere. Hope you enjoy! Please feel free to leave feedback, I love feedback :)

**E- **_So happy that you loved the proposal! Not sure what kind of plot twist you're looking for regarding Jeanne, but there is some more backstory in Leah and Jeanne's relationship in this chapter._

* * *

"Special Agent DiNozzo? Can I have a moment of your time?" a deep voice asked outside their apartment building.

Tony glanced up from taking their luggage out of their car to see a stocky man sitting on the steps of his building, waiting. Instantly warning bells went off and he gently threw his arm out to stop Leah from stepping towards the stranger. "Who are you?"

The stocky man rose off the steps and held his hand out. "Preston Willaby. _Washington Post. _I'm covering the murder trial of Jenny Shepard. I was hoping to hear your thoughts about her brain cancer diagnosis."

"Brain cancer?" Tony repeated. "What are you talking about?"

"You haven't heard?" Willaby said, and then shook his head. "Of course you haven't, you've been out of the country for ten days. She had a tumor removed from her brain two days ago."

Tony froze. He was suddenly flashing back to his time in the hospital, to the blue lights and the struggle to even breathe; that had been brought on by a crazy woman with a brain tumor. _Of course, I should have seen it sooner. Jenny was acting just like that crackpot. _ "I hate to disappoint you—but I have nothing to say," he countered, coolly.

Wllaby wasn't going to take _no _for an answer; he was a reporter after all. "Oh, come on Special Agent DiNozzo—you must have something to say, since this will after all more than likely get all charges against her dropped and she did try to frame you for Rene Benoit's murder…"

Leah shifted uncomfortably next to him. She had voiced her fears that something could go wrong, that could easily get the charges against Jenny dropped and their lives were going to be in constant hell because of her. "Tony…"

He held his hand up. "Listen, Mr. Willaby, I trust that the U.S Attorney's office is going to sort everything out. Are we done here?" Tony didn't wait for the reporter to answer, instead he picked up the luggage and led the way back into the apartment building, effectively ending the conversation. He knew that the report would probably be back, that they would be hounding him throughout the trial. Why couldn't Jenny have just taken the deal and made life easier for all of them?

"Tony?" Leah said behind him, shakily.

"What is it, bella?" Tony questioned, turning to look at her. Instantly he saw the fear in her eyes. "Leah… sweetheart… it's going to be fine."

She suddenly burst into tears. "No! It's not! I'm the daughter of a lawyer, remember? She's going to get away with this and she's… it's never going to stop!"

He quickly gathered her up into his arms. "Bella. Stop crying. You're tired and jet lagged and not thinking clearly."

Leah could see where his argument was coming from but she thought once Jenny had been arrested, once she was charged with this crime that things were going to get back to normal. She had seen her father use brain injuries to get clients off from murder charges. And who was to say that Jenny wouldn't come after them again? "I just thought that this was going to be all over… once she was arrested... I thought it was going to go away..."

Tony stroked her back, comforting her. "I know, bella. I know. But listen… if she knew right from wrong… even with the brain tumor… she's going to prison, Leah. And then it will be finally over. Okay? Jenny can't hurt us anymore."

"And what about the Benoits? Jeanne? If someone doesn't pay for Rene's death…"

"Jenny's going to jail."

She pushed away from him and wiped at her tears. "You don't know Jeanne like I do… she's vengeful…"

He sighed, watching her. "As vengeful as Jenny?"

Leah glanced at him, her shoulders stiffening. Was Jeanne vengeful enough to kill? She wasn't sure, but she did know that when Mark had convinced her that he'd been having an affair with Leah, Jeanne had turn the vultures of their social circle on her. It was one of the reasons why Leah had left Boston and gone to Washington. It also was why she didn't find it surprising that Jeanne had followed her there… "You grew up in New York society… you know how vicious those women can be."

Tony could tell that she was holding something back from him. The topic of Jeanne had always been a touchy one with her, and he had just assumed it was because of what Jeanne's fiancée had done to her… but seeing her this way, he was beginning to think it was something else. "Leah? What did she do to you?" he asked, concerned.

"It's nothing. It's in the past and no one remembers it when I go home now," Leah said, softly trying to avoid the subject.

"Liar. Those society women remember _everything_," Tony pointed out. "What did Jeanne do?"

"It's not what she did… it's what she told everyone at school," Leah whispered. "I became the _slut _that had slept with her fiancée. My boyfriend called me a whore when we broke up. Everyone looked down on me. Girls… girls said terrible things to me… boys wouldn't date me. Jeanne… and her sorority sisters harassed me whenever they could. I'd come back to my dorm room daily to find various slurs written on my white board. I couldn't sleep, or eat, I nearly flunked out of school… until my dad had to step in. Pays to be buddies with the Dean of Students."

Tony felt his heart breaking for her. She hadn't done a thing. It had been Mark caught trying to seduce her—assault her—it had been Mark's lie that had made Leah a target for bullying. "Oh bella, I'm so sorry…"

Leah wiped her tears away. "It stopped after that. I think Rene threatened to pull Jeanne out of medical school. But… you know… you never regain social standing after being a target for so long. When I graduated Harvard, I moved here to get my Master's. It was just…easier to be away from Boston. Most of those sorority sisters that bullied me moved away too. I've barely seen any of them."

He moved towards her, taking her hands into his own and turning her to face him. "Jeanne can't hurt you anymore, Leah."

She sniffled and lifted her watery eyes to look at him. "How can you know for sure?"

"Because, you have me. And _I _won't let her do that to you ever again," Tony promised her. He ran his finger over her engagement ring. "See that ring? That means we're in this together, sweetheart. You and me. Got it?"

"I…I got it," Leah said with a sad smile. "I wish you had been in my corner back then… I thought… well I thought my boyfriend would have believed me… supported me… but he didn't. Turns out he was sleeping with one of Jeanne's sorority sisters."

Tony wiped her tears. "Well, you have me this time."

Leah threw herself at him, feeling his arms closing in around her. He was right, if Jenny—or Jeanne—came after her, she would have him, and that was really all she needed.

* * *

Gibbs heard his front door open and close. Careful footsteps made their way across the floor and the basement door opened. Heels clicked down the steps and he glanced up to see Hollis standing there. He grinned. "Thought we agreed to not see each other tonight."

Hollis licked her lips and stepped off the bottom stair into the sawdust haven he retreated to every night. "Well, you have a way of creeping into one's mind when they're home alone, watching pretty steamy love scene on television…"

"So… should we move this discussion upstairs to the bedroom?" Gibbs asked, slyly.

"Mmmm the thought has crossed my mind," Hollis replied, moving towards him. She ran her hands up the front of his loose fitting sweatshirt and kissed him.

Gibbs dropped the piece of sand paper in his hand and kissed her back. He didn't know what she had been watching or if that was an excuse for her to come over here… either way he was glad for it. Since Jenny had been arrested and was now in the hospital going through treatment things at NCIS had been a little unbalanced. It was probably getting used to Leon Vance being in charge… he had ended up cancelling a lot on Hollis lately and that wasn't fair to her.

Hollis started to undress him. If she was feeling slighted by his lack of attention to her she wasn't showing it. Gibbs was grateful. He had been so filled with tension trying to keep the team together after Tony's departure, trying to make sure that no one burned NCIS again like Jenny had—which was leading to a very awkward relationship with Vance. Normally he would have called Hollis up and sought out some relief… things had gotten in the way.

Both of them were topless when they were startled to find out that they were not alone in the house anymore. Gibbs was accosted with the familiar smell of a man's cologne, and he pulled back from his heated lip lock with Hollis to watch Tony, eyes wide, turn about and head back up the stairs.

He grabbed his sweatshirt and threw it back on and told Hollis he'd be right back. "Tony?" he shouted, running up the stairs. He found Tony standing in the kitchen, clearly embarrassed for walking on his former boss and the Army colonel.

Tony looked away, trying to avoid eye contact. "Sorry, Gibbs… should have known…should have known you'd have company."

"What are you doing here, Tony?"

"Nothing… it's not important…"

"Had to have been important if you came over here in the middle of the night."

"Is it true… Jenny had a tumor?" Tony asked, finally making eye contact with Gibbs.

"Yeah," Gibbs answered, softly, "It's true. Moderate sized on her frontal lobe."

Tony's jaw clenched. "So… is she getting away with murder?"

Gibbs took a deep breath, eyes softening on the younger man. "U.S Attorney says she knew right from wrong, they're still pursuing a trial."

"Leah's scared that this is never going to end."

"Are you?"

"Don't know, Gibbs," Tony said, softly. "On the one hand, Jenny left us alone for five months, but then she did try to frame me for murder. So, who knows what's going to happen if she doesn't get convicted. Will she come after me for ruining her life? I did get her fired. Will she come after Leah? Take away the woman I love?"

Gibbs could see the fear and anger in Tony's eyes. "She's going to jail, Tony. No way a jury finds her not guilty, not after they hear all the testimony against her—from the evidence that was found, to her psych evaluation, to your statements… think you're just a little jet lagged."

Tony chuckled, softly. "I said the same thing to Leah. Maybe we are jet lagged. I'll, ah… let you get back to your date, Gibbs." He waved, grinned and slid out the back door, leaving Gibbs standing there shaking his head slightly.

Even though he had been with the FBI for five months, it appeared that Tony still needed Gibbs' guidance… his friendship… it warmed the former marine's heart that Tony still trusted him after everything that had happened. With a little shake of his head he went back down into the basement and found Hollis sipping some bourbon waiting for him. She had not put her shirt back on but was sitting there in her skirt and bra. Instantly his pulse quickened. "So… where were we?" he asked, before moving in and devouring her.


	40. Crazy

**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Identity Crisis", snarky Ziva, crazy Jeanne Benoit

**A/N:** Can I just say I love, love, love that NCIS is on Netflix now and I could stream this episode to answer a plot question I had? :D Anyways, here is the next part. FYI we won't be seeing Jenny for a while because this is while she would be having treatment. She'll be back later for the trial, etc. Hope you enjoy the twists in this chapter! Please let me know what you :)

**E-** _Jenny will be going through a trial. As for Jeanne... you'll see;) And I'm always up for writing a wedding :D_

* * *

In the coming weeks the media frenzy surrounding NCIS, Jenny Shepard, and Rene Benoit had settled down. Tony knew that reporters would be hounding him once the trial started up in the fall, but for now he was going to enjoy the quiet—well the relative quiet that being a federal agent offered him.

At least he had Leah. She was proving to be the perfect escape from the horrors of his job. Especially when, a couple of weeks ago that job required informing parents of a missing child that their son was dead. Tony had delivered news like this before, when he'd been a cop in Philly and later Baltimore, but it still was the worst part of his job. In the past he'd escape by getting lost in a bottle of whiskey, this time had escaped with a home cooked meal, a bottle of wine, and his fiancée.

Tony knew he was going to need that escape today when Gibbs showed up at his office. "Fornell warned me about this."

Gibbs chuckled and stepped into the younger man's office. "Can't I just drop by for a visit?"

"Nah, I know you, Gibbs," Tony quipped with his trademark smile, "You don't just stop by for visits. What can I do for you?"

"Marvin Hinton," the NCIS agent said. "What do you know about him?"

"Heard that Ducky was holding his corpse hostage," the FBI agent chuckled. "Oh, and he was flirting with the M.E that botched the original autopsy."

"You hear a lot of things."

"McGee. Had him over for dinner."

Gibbs had thought he'd seen Ziva hounding McGee with questions that morning. Now it made sense… "Courtney Krieger work for you?"

Tony shook his head. "No. Fornell. But they got Tobias holed up over at Homeland Security right now. Why? What's going on?"

He leaned forward and rested his hands on Tony's desk. Gibbs wished that Tony was back on his team, he really could have used the former NCIS agent's way of deflecting tension in the bullpen when Ziva and Langer had started to argue over Courtney. Langer being former FBI had trusted her immediately and Ziva, well, being Mossad, she naturally distrusted everyone. "What kind of agent is she?"

For a second Tony contemplated what he was going to say, and then he sighed, "By the book, Gibbs. Drives Fornell a little batty with her use of electronics. Otherwise, I don't think there's a problem. She a suspect in Hinton's death?"

"Last one to see him alive."

"Ouch. Well… Fornell had reason to believe that Hinton was in contact with Kamal Konkani—an eraser."

"Krieger said that Hinton wanted a new identity."

"Kamal could give it to him. Let me guess, Hinton was murdered because he was found out to be working with the FBI."

"Most likely."

Tony sighed. Fornell had left him a stack of cases to keep track of while he was over at Homeland—this had been one of them. He picked up the phone. "I better call Leah and let her know that I'm going to be late…"

* * *

Early the next morning Tony had the pleasure—or displeasure—of informing Tobias that Hinton was dead. Turned out, Courtney had done so… but in an email. Driving over to NCIS with the pissed off Tobias reminded him of times that he was at the mercy of a pissed of Gibbs behind the wheel.

While Tobias went to updated Leon Vance on the situation that Homeland Security believed Konkani to be providing new identities to terrorists, Tony went with McGee up to MTAC. He was happy to see that the junior NCIS agent was settling back into his job. Langer seemed to be growing on McGee, which was good—Tony knew that McGee needed someone in his corner, especially when Gibbs or Ziva went off the rails. According to McGee, however, Gibbs had been more mellow, smiling a little bit more.

Tony didn't bother to tell McGee why—Hollis Mann. Strangely enough, having a regular relationship was having a positive impact on Gibbs. "So, I didn't get to ask… did you enjoy dinner the other night?" he questioned as the pair entered MTAC.

McGee nodded. "Yeah. Leah's made some nice touches to your apartment… not that it wasn't nice before… and she's a good cook. Did she… did she like me?"

"She thought you were adorable. Already talking about setting you up with a friend of hers she met at school," Tony said with a chuckle.

"Who thought McGee was adorable?" Ziva interrupted. She glanced up from her seat in MTAC.

"Oh… um… Leah," McGee said, nervously glancing at Tony. "They had me… they had me over for dinner the other night."

Ziva scowled slightly. Langer chuckled next to her. Courtney shrunk in her chair when she saw Tony. "How much trouble am I in, sir?" she asked, eyes casting downward to avoid looking at Tony.

Tony sat down behind her and pat her on the shoulder, gently. "Don't worry, Courtney, Tobias' bark is worse than his bite."

Courtney nodded her head and then she beamed up at him. "Oh, sir, I forgot to tell you—congratulations!"

Ziva whirled about in her seat. "Congratulations on what?"

Langer shifted uncomfortably. He'd heard from friends at the FBI that Tony had gotten engaged a few weeks ago, to the same woman that had called McGee adorable. A few of his buddies were envious of Tony's ability to turn what should have been a disaster of a relationship into something solid. But Langer had not shared that information with his team, he was sure that McGee knew, quite possibly Ducky and Gibbs—but he was not going to be the one to tell Ziva.

Tony seemed just as uncomfortable with the idea, but answered her, "Leah and I are engaged."

Before Ziva could react, Tobias came storming into the room with Vance and Gibbs. He snapped at Tony, "Probably one of the stupidest things you've done to date, DiNozzo! I tried to warn him, Jethro. And he's met our ex-wife!"

"Gentlemen," Vance said. "Can we get to the task at hand? Finding Kamal Konkani."

"Of course, Director," Tobias said before launching into his briefing.

Tony had heard it all before. He leaned back in his seat and watched the dynamics of his old team. Langer seemed knowledgeable—he heard good things about the agent at the FBI, and McGee was still McGee, although somewhat more confident. Ziva kept throwing him glares. _Some things didn't change… _

After Tobias had gone through bringing the NCIS team up to speed they were given orders from Vance to track Kokani. Tony left MTAC, noticing that Tobias pulled Courtney aside to scold her. Having been on the receiving end of a few of those types of scolds—mostly from Gibbs—Tony felt bad for her. At the bottom of the stairs, while he was emphasizing with Courtney, he bumped into Ziva. "Can I do something for you, Officer David?"

Ziva looked him up and down. "I do not think your new fiancée would appreciate you staring after another woman."

Tony glanced back up towards Courtney and Tobias before looking back at Ziva. "Staring? Can I ask you something, what have you got against her?"

"It's clear what you would like to have against her."

"Excuse me?"

"You would like to sleep with her."

He swallowed, angrily. "Maybe the old Tony. Not the new one."

She set her jaw. "I thought the _new _Tony was looking for something a little bit more."

"More than getting engaged to the woman I love?"

"Leah although I am sure is a very nice girl, is just that—a girl, Tony. The man you have become needs a woman…"

Tony's jaw twitched, slightly. He opened his mouth to respond when Tobias flew by him, shouting, "Do you believe that? An email!"

Ziva used the opportunity to escape back to her desk, leaving Tony standing by the copy machine, seething slightly. Leah was not some girl. She was _the _girl. The one. And if his former partner couldn't get over the fact, well then, he was just going to have to distance himself from her even more. He was not about to let Ziva's jealous tendencies ruin his relationship with Leah. He had worked too hard at maintaining that relationship.

Sure he had made mistakes along the way, by lying to Leah and not telling her the whole truth—maybe by not getting her out of the line of fire sooner when it came to Benoit, but relationships were all about the ups and downs. If he couldn't take the downs he didn't deserve the ups. Tony had slowly started to introduce his old life into his new one. He'd had McGee over for dinner, met Ducky and Mrs. Mallard for lunch one Sunday afternoon with Leah—eventually he hoped to introduce her to Abby and Gibbs. He could see that Ziva was going to have to be distant in this reintroduction.

Tobias was looking at him, expectantly when he joined the rest of them in the bullpen. "What?" Tony asked, glancing around the room.

"We narrowed down the restaurant where Konkani gets his Indian food," McGee said.

"Yeah? Great?" Tony questioned, noticing their looks.

"Since this is the FBI's operation…. We think that you and Courtney should go undercover," Langer suggested with a little smile.

Tony looked at Tobias, who chuckled, "Gear up, DiNutso—you have a date!"

* * *

Leah carefully balanced her books and her canvas grocery bag as she climbed the stairs to her apartment. After spending all day studying at the library she had stopped at her favorite health food store on the way home to pick up a few things for dinner.

Tony had not made it home the night before, the FBI had him working an urgent case, and Leah decided that she hated it when he didn't come home. It was lonely in their apartment without him. Too quiet almost… she had spoken to the building manager and he was okay with allowing his tenants to get pets. Maybe she could convince Tony to get a dog…

He wasn't really an animal type person, but at least she wouldn't be alone in apartment. And if they got the right kind of dog she could swing it that the dog was her protector when Tony wasn't around. She knew for a fact that he hated her being alone late at night. One of the reasons she had moved out of her apartment and into his was the continued argument over her poor locks. Leah just knew that her father had something to do with Tony's persistence in getting her to move into his building, which was more secure, state of the art.

As she made her way down the hall the smell of spray paint hint hit her nostrils. Leah pulled back, slightly confused and even more confused when their neighbor, a middle aged woman that had more lovers than Leah could count… came rushing at her. "I called the police, Leah!"

"Why?" Leah asked, concerned. "Something wrong?"

"Oh, it's horrible!" the neighbor sighed, rather dramatically. "I heard someone in the hall, but didn't come out until later to get the mail and I found…"

Leah stopped when she saw their door. Her heart dropped into her stomach. In red spray paint, across their pristine white door was the word, _KILLER. _Her hands shook as she put the bag of groceries down, as she dropped her books and found her cell phone. She quickly dialed Tony. "It's starting all over again!" she cried.

Tony was confused. "_What's starting all over again?" _

"Our door was vandalized!" Leah whimpered. "Just like last time, just like Harvard! She's going to make our lives miserable!"

"_Who, sweetheart?" _Tony coaxed her, although he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

Leah sniffled, wanting to wash away that horrible writing on the wall. "Jeanne."

* * *

_Do you think Jeanne is too crazy? Or does it fit, cause I can tone it down a notch. Also, anyone want me to go forward with giving McGee a love interest?_


	41. I Know What You Did

**Warnings:** Slight spoilers for "Identity Crisis"

**A/N:** Don't have much to say, but thank you for your feedback. Sometimes it helps to get the feedback to know which direction to go. McGee will be getting a love interest, I've planted the seed here in this chapter. It will be an OC.

* * *

On one of their first dates in Washington Tony had taken Leah to an Indian restaurant. At the time it was because he believed that Jeanne Benoit and her father ate there every Thursday evening but Leah had dispelled that theory by saying that Jeanne did not like Indian food. Another one of Jenny's misconceptions when it came to the whole Benoit case; he shook his head to clear his thoughts and adjusted his glasses.

Abby had hidden a camera in them, and one in Courtney's necklace. The "date" had been going well, until Ziva startled him over the radio and he spilled water all over his brand new suit. The tiny mishap though had given them an opening to glance at the delivery list, find an address that was leased to Frederick LeClair… another alias for their dead guy.

Tony had been in the back of the van with the delivery boy while Gibbs, Fornell, and Ziva searched the house, when his phone rang. Leah very rarely called him on his cell while he was working. If she was looking for him she'd call his office and leave a message. Immediately he knew that something was wrong; a thousand different thoughts ran through his brain. But going back to his apartment to find it vandalized and Leah in tears was not one of them…

"Sorry about this Tony," the building manger said when he arrived. "Not sure who let the person in the building in the first place."

"It's okay, Harry," the FBI agent assured him. "I've got a pretty good idea who did this."

"I'll make sure that maintenance paints over it immediately," Harry promised.

Tony thanked him and stepped inside the apartment. Gently he closed the door. Tobias had told him that he could back out of investigation, with the NCIS team, Tobias, and Krieger, they had more then enough manpower for the time being to find Kamal. He did request that his team be present when Konkani was finally tracked down. For now, Tony had his own personal problems to deal with. The investigation into who had vandalized his door had been handed off to Metro, but Tony was pretty sure it was going to lead to nothing. They had bigger fish to fry than a bullying socialite. Tony would have his team track Jeanne down for him… "Bella?"

Leah shifted uneasily on the sofa, watery eyes meeting his. He'd told her a few weeks ago that he would be there for her, on her side, but seeing that word spray painted on their door had brought back so many memories of when she had been alone. "I told you she was vengeful."

"Not worried about her," Tony assured Leah as he sat down onto the sofa. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. "I'm going to have my team track her down."

"We can't prove that she did it," Leah whispered.

"Doesn't matter," Tony snapped. "I'm going to have a little chat with her."

"Please, Tony, please don't make it worse," Leah begged him, on the verge of tears again.

Tony rubbed her back but he was not making any promises that he wasn't going to confront Jeanne. Hurting him was one thing, hurting Leah was entirely a different matter. He wasn't about to let Jeanne intimidate his fiancée. Gently he kissed her temple. "Promise me if she approaches you that you call me, got it?"

Leah nodded her head and snuggled against his chest. "I promise. Of course if I see her I might just turn and go in the opposite direction."

He chuckled. "That works."

She took a deep breath. "Tony?"

"Yes?"

"Can we get a dog?"

Tony laughed and hugged her tightly and promised that yes, they could get a dog.

* * *

Tobias had given him the rest of the day off. Said that he'd handle Kamal and call him in the morning with an update. Tony had spent the rest of the day running errands, even picking up some items for a dog since Leah really wanted one. It had taken him a little while to warm up to the idea, but after today, it would give him some peace of mind to know that Leah wasn't alone at night when he was working. He was also happy to see that the building manager had his door painted and it no longer read _killer _in bright red spray paint. But, it did add a little fuel to the fire that he was going to confront Jeanne Benoit. Leah could beg him not to make things worse, but the woman needed to know that she was way out of line, and if it happened again, well he was going to have her arrested.

He had spent what little free time he had making phone calls to figure out where Jeanne lived and worked. His team was happy to help but it had taken them most of the day and it was close to midnight when Greg finally called with the answers

Leah was still up, sitting on their bed with her computer in her lap. She smiled at him and turned the screen around. "Look at it how cute he is!" she cried, happily. "I've been online all night looking at various shelters for a dog and I think he's the one, Tony!"

Tony plopped down onto the bed with her and looked at the pup on the screen, a one-year-old Australian Shepard. His big blue eyes beamed back at him. "Did you fall in love with me that quickly?"

"Yes," she told him with a tender kiss. "He's perfect for us, Tony. He's active so he can come running with us, he's friendly so he won't scare the neighbors, but according to this, he's loyal to his owners and will protect his territory if need be."

"I'm more interested in if he'll protect you when I'm not around," Tony replied, wrapping an arm around her. "Especially after what happened today. Having a dog that's going to snap and bite at someone threatening you will put my mind at ease."

Leah closed her laptop and kissed his cheek. "So I can go visit him tomorrow?"

Tony laughed and nodded his head. "Yes. _We _can go visit him tomorrow."

"And that other thing we talked about, after Tim left?"

"Setting him up with your friend?"

"Yes."

"I… I don't know, bella."

Leah looked at him seriously, her head titled to one side. "Why not? Tim seems like he's looking for a relationship. And he was nice, smart, adorable; you don't think that Celeste would be perfect for him?"

Tony ran his tongue over his lips. Sure he thought Celeste was great—was she McGee's type—that he wasn't so sure about. Then again he really wasn't sure what exactly was his former partner's type. He had once started the rumor that McGee was gay. _That was terrible of you Tony, _he thought, ashamed of himself. "Tell me a little bit more about her again."

"She's getting her PH.D in microbiology, already been head hunted by a pretty big pharmaceutical company. Likes to read and play video games. Also, she's cute," Leah told him, "I know lots of guys at school that have wanted to date her."

"Why hasn't she dated any of those guys?" Tony asked honestly. "I'm sure being surrounded by people smart enough to get their PH.D there would be some fish in that pond that would attract her interest."

"None of them attracted mine."

"Well it's pretty hard to compete with a handsome, armed federal agent."

Leah ran her hand up his chest. "Yes. It is. Besides, all those guys that showed interest in me at school were boring. You know there's nerd, and then there's cute nerd."

Tony scoffed, "I'm not a nerd."

"Your movie collection would suggest otherwise."

"What? I have some of the best, coolest movies in that collection!"

"And you can recite any line, any plot from any one of them—that's what movie geeks do."

He feigned looking hurt.

She pressed her lips to his and then pulled back. "Tony. You being a movie geek is one of the things I love about you."

Tony was surprised by this. Normally the women he dated—and Ziva—had always been annoyed when he brought up movies, or his love of movies. He had always wanted a woman that appreciated his love of film, even if she did not love it herself. But Leah seemed to like movies and she did love it when he burst out mindless trivia about movies. He smiled at her. "Okay, so back to Celeste… one more question."

Leah nodded and rested her head against his shoulder. "Okay. What is it?"

"Is she blonde or brunette?"

"Redhead."

"Really? You think Tim would be attracted to a redhead?"

"I think he would be more attracted to her personality than just her hair color—but yes. He seems like the type."

Tony quirked his eyebrows, wondering what she would think if he told her that Gibbs liked redheads. "Okay, I'm intrigued. Why do you think that?"

Leah smiled, coyly at him. "Because when he saw a photograph of my sister Norah, he said, _I like redheads._"

"Huh. Where was I?"

"On the phone with Greg, something about your case."

"Can't believe I didn't know that all these years."

"Probably because you never asked."

Tony wrapped her into his arms and kissed her, hungrily and also careful not to crush her laptop between their bodies. When he pulled back he sighed and smiled at her, "I love you, Leah Dawson and just when I think I cannot possibly fall in love with you even more… I do."

Leah smiled, gently, running the tips of her fingers through his hair. "I love you too, Anthony DiNozzo. And I love you more and more every day. Now stop talking and kiss me."

"Yes ma'am," Tony said with a dashing grin.

He engulfed her into his arms and kissed her. She melted against him and he decided that there was a good chance that the laptop was going to get ruined if they didn't move it. Reaching out with one hand he grabbed the computer and rolled them towards her nightstand, gently placing it there before rolling them back into the middle of the mattress.

She giggled underneath him and teased him that he seemed more concerned about the safety of the laptop than with making love to her. Tony was just going to have to show Leah that the laptop was no the furtherest thing from his mind.

* * *

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Doctor Benoit?" Tony asked, stepping up to the front desk at small, local hospital.

"Are you a patient?" the nurse asked, searching for clipboard and forms.

"No," Tony said, fishing out his ID. He flashed her his credentials. "I'm Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. FBI. I need to speak to her."

Her eyes went wide and she picked up the phone. She paged the doctor and then smiled nervously at Tony. "She should answer. It's been a rather slow day around here. Is Doctor Benoit in some kind of trouble?"

He shook his head. "No," he lied. "Just have a few follow up questions about her father's death. The U.S Attorney prosecuting the case sent me. I shouldn't take too much time out of Doctor Benoit's day. Is there somewhere that I can wait for her?"

The nurse pointed in the director of some chairs and Tony wen to sit down. A few strokes of the keys that morning had led Tony to discover that Jeanne worked at a hospital near his apartment building, had transferred there just a few weeks after her father's disappearance. The nurses at Monroe University Hospital believed that she needed a fresh start. Her and Mark had moved into a posh townhouse near the smaller hospital. _And within walking distance of our apartment, _Tony mused with a heavy sigh.

Leah believed in coincidences but Tony did not. His gut was telling him that Jeanne had possibly been stalking Leah and himself for months now, just waiting for the right moment to strike. Just like she had done to Leah back at Harvard. Back then Leah had her father to clear up the mess and get it to stop, this time she had an FBI agent fiancée who was, to put it mildly, pissed off.

Jeanne appeared and saw him, her jaw tightening. She was an attractive woman and if circumstances had been different Tony could have seen himself with her, however, if the original plan had played out… Tony could only imagine what Jeanne would have done to him. "Agent DiNozzo," she stated, coldly. "The nurse says you have questions for me."

Tony pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open. He found the photograph of his apartment door. "Thought you should know that I didn't appreciate your handiwork yesterday, it was a nice touch, using the red paint, but still, a bit over the top don't you think?"

"Leah tell you I did that?" Jeanne snapped. "She's been plotting to get back at me for years now."

"Yeah, I know all about the time at Harvard," Tony hissed, "How you had your sorority sisters gang up on her, treat her like crap and stalk her."

"Don't tell me you fell for her poor little me bull," Jeanne said with a roll of her eyes. "She slept with Mark, she got what she deserved. If she couldn't handle the heat afterwards, well, then she shouldn't have fooled around with my fiancée. She knew what could happen if caught…"

Tony glared at her, his jaw twitched slightly. "Yeah, because I would have totally expected to come back to my dorm room with the word _whore _plastered all over the white board after not doing a single thing to incur that wrath. Your fiancée assaulted her and you didn't want to believe it."

Jeanne's eyes grew dark. "Another one of her lies. I know she was sleeping with him! He was always chasing her around at parties, staring at her. Boy she's got you real good, Agent DiNozzo if you fell for all that."

"How did you know where we lived?"

"I ran into Leah at a café."

"She didn't tell you our address. Have you been stalking her?"

"What? No!"

"Forgive me if I don't believe you."

"Are you done harassing me?" Jeanne snarled. "I have patients to see."

"I'm done… for now," Tony informed her. "But you better believe if something like this happens again—you vandalize my apartment, approach Leah and threaten her... continue to stalk her... I'll have your ass arrested and put in jail. That will crimp your life style with the billionaire future husband now won't it?"

Jeanne clenched her fists at her sides. "Bastard," she spat. "I don't know what Leah possibly sees in you."

Tony shoved his phone into his pocket and walked away. He was going to have to keep his eyes on Jeanne, he knew that, but confronting her, telling her like it was, had to be done, for Leah's sake. Jeanne could curse him all she wanted. He knew what Leah saw in him and that was all that really mattered.

* * *

_Going to meet Celeste in the next chapter! And what do you think, does Jeanne back off? Or does she get even more crazy?_


	42. Celeste and Copper

**Warnings: **None for this chapter.

**A/N: **Thank you all for the lovely feedback :). Here's your next chapter a day earlier than I was planning. Enjoy!

**E-** _I think Celeste going to be good for McGee and a fun addition to this verse :) Promise Tony and Leah will get a break at some point, I think it's important to point out that this isn't all happening in the same day so... there are breaks, I just have written them in :)_

**snoopmary-** _Thank you, I do plan on having Tony "haul" Jeanne into the FBI and give her little taste of what's coming if she doesn't back off. It was actually Leah's boyfriend that was sleeping with the friends that helped Jeanne terrorize Leah, not Jeanne's fiancee. That's not to say that your scene couldn't be written, but it would be the reality that Jeanne's fiancee wasn't just chasing after Leah but other girls as well._

* * *

After dealing with Jeanne, and handing some work off to his team, Tony found himself at the local animal shelter with Leah. He figured that they would come and look at the dog, but probably go home without him.

Tony knew that wasn't going to be the case when the dog came right out of his cage and went right up to Leah, sniffing her and licking her face. The mostly tan and gray dog easily and quickly bonded with his fiancée and Tony knew that they would be welcoming home a new family member that evening... Leah was giving him a look that reminded him of when a child wanted something really badly. He sighed and looked at the shelter volunteer, "What do we need to do to take him home with us?" he asked.

"I'll go get the paperwork," she said. "You'll also have to apply for a dog license but I don't see that being a problem."

"Are we sure we know what we're getting into?" Tony asked once the volunteer worker was gone.

"Yes," Leah said, patting the dog lovingly behind his ears. "I had dogs growing up. I know how to care for one."

The dog went up to Tony and sniffed him. Tony had heard from some of his co-workers that he had to establish he was the master, and let the dog get to know his scent. He was not prepared for the dog to start licking his fingers so quickly. Most dogs yapped and snapped at him... Ziva had said that was because they could smell his fear. If that was the case... then he must not be afraid of this guy. He reached out and scratched the dog behind his ears and smiled when the dog's tail wagged happily.

Leah stood up and kissed Tony's cheek. "Thank you," she whispered.

Tony sighed and looked at the dog now lying at Leah's feet. "Well. I hated the thought of you home alone while I worked late too," he confessed. Smiling, he gestured towards the dog, "Something tells me I don't have to worry about it anymore."

* * *

It was obvious that McGee was nervous. Tony had to chuckle as he parked his car in front of casual bar downtown.

Leah had been the one to pick this place, it was their favorite spot to go for a beer and burgers. Tony had argued that a first date for Tim and Celeste should be a bit more high end, but she had tossed him a look, thus ending the conversation. And so, they found themselves here on a Friday night. Turned out a night out was probably what Tony and Leah needed as well after the week they had. Their new dog was home, setting in well, but Leah was still apprehensive about Jeanne coming around again. He just wanted her to feel safe again...

Tony put his keys into the pockets of his dark wash jeans and reached out to grasp Tim's shoulder, trying to calm his former partner down a little bit. "Relax. Leah and I both think you're really going to like this girl, Probie."

Tim shuddered, slightly, anxiously. "It's just... well it's been a while since I went out on a date, Tony. You know my track record with women."

"Sure. But hey... no one had a worse track record then me... and here were are," the FBI agent said brightly. "And you clean up nicely!"

"Ziva..." Tim mumbled, then blushed. "She told me I dress too old for my age. So, I had the young guy at the store help me..."

"Red looks good on you," Tony said, smoothing his hands over Tim's red button down. "Leather jacket is a nice touch."

Tim pulled back from him when he noticed the girl at the hostess desk looking at them with a knowing grin. _Great, _Tim thought. _Well, she wouldn't be the first person Tony has convinced that we're a couple. _"Ah, how long of a wait for a table?"

She smiled, slightly. "Do you gentlemen want a more private table for your date? Those tend to go first, so it's a longer wait."

"Ah, actually our dates are probably here," Tony said, smiling at her. "Two women, one's a redhead..."

"Oh, they went into the bar area about ten minutes ago," the girl replied, now looking slightly embarrassed that she thought Tony and Tim were a couple.

Tony thanked her and dragged Tim into the bar. Instantly Leah was waving at him. She was wearing jeans and lightweight sweater in a color that matched her blue diamond ring. Her hair was braided and she looked more like she was meeting friends for a drink than a double date. Her friend Celeste, on the other hand, was wearing a nice green dress that complimented her red hair.

Leah slipped off her stool when the two men got to their table and pulled her fiancée down for a kiss. "Hi," she said, sweetly. "Hope you don't mind that I ordered a bottle of wine for the table."

He smiled at her and rested his hand on the small of her back. "I don't mind at all," Tony purred in her ear.

Celeste and Tim snapped at the same time, "Get a room!" For a second the two looked at each other, surprised but then laughed, introduced themselves and started getting to know one another.

"See," Leah whispered in Tony's ear, "I told you she's was perfect for him."

"Well," Tony sighed, smiling at her, "When you're right, you're right."

* * *

Gibbs was surprised to hear a dog bark when he knocked on Tony's door two weeks after the joint investigation to catch Konkani. He was even more surprised when Tony answered, holding onto the collar of a beautiful Australian Shepard who was wagging his tail wildly and attempting to sniff Gibbs for his scent. The former marine held his palm out so the dog could get a good whiff of him and even let the animal lick his hand.

Tony loosened his grip on the collar and told the dog, in a firm voice to sit. Reluctantly the pup did as he was told, but his tail still wagged away. "Sorry, Gibbs. Copper gets excited when we have visitors. Dog trainer is working on it with him."

"Copper?"

"Yeah, you know from _The Fox and The Hound?_"

Gibbs immediately flashbacked to Kelly sitting on the sofa watching that movie over and over again after she had received it as a gift for her fourth birthday. "Yeah," he said, softly, "I know that one."

Tony fished a treat out of his pocket and handed it to Copper who eagerly ate it up before retreating back into the apartment. "What brings you by, Gibbs? Don't tell me you need my help on another case so soon after bringing Kamal Konkani down."

He shook his head and asked if he could come into the apartment. Tony silently acknowledged that he could by stepping aside and giving his former boss access. Gibbs walked into the familiar place. There had been some changes since Leah had moved in, more personal touches that the apartment had been lacking when it was just Tony's bachelor pad. Gibbs looked into the living room to see Leah on the sofa, working, Copper lying at her feet. When the NCIS agent stepped into the living room he noticed the dog's ears perk up and he raised his head. Gibbs took the hint and went into the kitchen. "You get the dog to guard her?" he asked Tony when the FBI agent joined him.

"Actually, the dog was her idea," Tony said. "Coffee, Gibbs?"

"Please," Gibbs replied. "Didn't think you were a dog person, Tony."

"I didn't either," Tony said, honestly. "But we went down to the shelter and well... we couldn't leave him there. Came right out of his cage and licked our hands."

Gibbs leaned against the kitchen island. "Australian Shepard's are active dogs. How you exercising him?"

Tony smiled and poured the older man a cup of coffee. "Two jogs a day. Leah likes to run in the evening, I like to run in the morning. Plus, he goes to doggie daycare while Leah is at work or school. Plenty of furry playmates to keep him busy and they walk him. You know, Gibbs, you should get a dog."

He chuckled, watched as Copper came into the kitchen and found his water bowl. Gibbs reached down and scratched the dog behind his ears. "Are you worried that I'm lonely, DiNozzo?"

Wincing, the younger man pushed the coffee mug towards his former boss. "Well... I heard Colonel Mann went to Hawaii," Tony said, feeling sorry for the other man.

"McGee talked too much on that double date you took him out on," Gibbs pointed out, sipping his coffee. "Hollis went to Hawaii for vacation. I couldn't go. She'll be back."

"Oh. It sounded like... well... par for the course when it comes to your relationships," Tony said, wincing again.

"Figured it was time to change," Gibbs replied, giving Copper a little pat before the dog went back to his perch at Leah's feet.

"Is that why you're here?"

"No. Don't think I'm ready to take relationship advice from you, Tony."

Tony chuckled. He wasn't sure he'd have any advice to give really. He had just gotten lucky. "So... this is just a social call?"

Gibbs took another sip of his coffee. "Somewhat. I saw Jenny."

"Why?"

"She asked that I come down to the hospital to see her. Wanted to apologize."

"For..."

"For breaking my trust, for hurting you and pushing you from NCIS. She wants to see you, Tony."

Tony clutched the handle of his coffee mug. Just the thought of being in the same room with Jenny made him anxious. "What is she looking for, repentance?"

Gibbs sighed and nodded. "I think so. It could be a ploy to lessen her sentence when she's found guilty. You don't have to go."

He looked over his shoulder into the living room, where Leah was still working, earbuds in her ears unaware that they even had a visitor. Tony had said all he needed to say to Jenny the day she was arrested. The former NCIS director had nearly destroyed his life... "I think I'm good, Gibbs. There isn't much more I have to say to her and I think it's a little too late for her to be apologizing to me."

Sipping the last of his coffee, Gibbs glanced into the living room at Tony's fiancée. Besides Jenny interfering with their lives and messing things up, he knew for a fact that there was another woman attempting to do the same. Tobias had told him about the vandalism. "You arrest Jeanne Benoit yet?"

"On what charges?" Tony asked, truthfully. "I can't prove she was the one to vandalize the door."

"Have you seen her around lately?" Gibbs inquired.

"No. But I have a feeling she's still watching," Tony replied. "Fornell tell you?"

"He's a bit concerned. Jeanne has a well documented history with Leah back at Harvard."

"Mommy and Daddy managed to buy her way out of those charges. John Dawson smoothed things over with the University."

"It was a lucrative partnership."

"Like any in high society."

Gibbs placed his empty mug onto the counter. "She gives you anymore problems—call me."

Tony grinned. "What? You don't think I can't handle her?"

"I know you can handle her," Gibbs said, seriously. "But I did a little digging myself. Learned a few interesting things about the family she's marrying into. Seems to be more of a modernized arranged marriage than actual love."

"Mark Truman is the heir to a very, very large company," Tony said. "I did some digging as well. Mrs. Benoit's parents were the Trumans' business partners years and years ago, something went sour though when Mrs. Benoit married Rene and the Trumans cut all ties with them. Until Mark took a slight interest in Jeanne, once that happened everything else seemed to work out. The Benoits were given Mrs. Benoit's share of the company when the engagement was announced."

"Fancy that," Gibbs muttered. "The Benoits used their daughter to gain better social standing."

"Sadly, it's not a practice that died with the turn of the century," Tony sighed. "Not sure Mark Truman has any idea just how many screws Jeanne has loose."

Gibbs chuckled at this thought. "Maybe you should pay him a friendly visit from the FBI."

Tony's smile broadened. "Sure. And while I'm at it I'll strangle him for sexually assaulting Leah all those years ago."

Eyebrows shot up in concern; Gibbs pursed his lips as an angry look settled on his face. "So it wasn't an affair that started the bullying at Harvard."

Pouring himself some more coffee, Tony shook his head. "No. Jeanne walked in on Mark groping and kissing Leah—Mark told her that they were having an affair. Jeanne buyed it, probably because she was in denial that her parents were forcing her into this marriage—she broke up with him shortly after that—started terrorizing Leah to keep up appearances, I'm sure, and then when things had settled back down, when Leah had run from Boston to Washington, she took Mark back in. How nice of her, huh?"

"Leah never pressed charges?"

"Too scared I think."

"DiNozzo," Gibbs said as he got up to leave, "Watch your six and hers."

"Believe me," Tony said, his eyes hardening, "You don't have to tell me twice, Gibbs."

* * *

Celeste O'Brian fixed her perfect red locks in curls, put on a navy blue sundress and headed downstairs to meet her ride Sunday morning. She was not surprised to find that it was only Leah in the car—she was aware that Tim's job as a federal agent pulled him away more often than not, and she assumed that Leah saw even less of Tony since he had taken the job to lead a team at the FBI. Still, she asked, "Where are the boys?"

Leah rolled her eyes. "Bonding at a football game. Tony insisted that he take Tim to one. They left about an hour ago to go tailgating. Can you imagine standing around for hours, grilling and drinking beer before watching a football game?"

"Oh, I was hoping to see Tim today," Celeste said, honestly. He was the first guy in a while that had peaked her interest, and wasn't just trying to get in her pants.

"Tony said they'd stop by the apartment after the game for a drink," Leah said with a smile. "So... it's going well with Tim?"

"It is. He's a nice guy," Celeste replied. She glared at Leah slightly when she saw the bright look in her friend's eyes. "Don't start wedding plan, Leah."

Leah pouted and started the car up. "Why not?" she asked. "He's the best boyfriend you've had in _three _years!"

Celeste looked out her window while Leah drove. Her friend was correct. Even though she had only been dating Tim for the last two weeks, he was the best boyfriend she'd had in three years. Probably because she usually was attracted to the wrong type of guy; after so many failed relationships she had agreed to let Leah set her up. But that didn't mean she wanted to admit that Leah was right. "I don't want to jinx anything, okay?"

She laughed and glanced in the rearview mirror. Leah had noticed that when she left the apartment that a car had been following her and she was startled to see that the same car was still behind her. Even after she had stopped to pick up Celeste... and then she recognized the driver.

"Leah!" Celeste gasped when she slammed on the brakes and threw the car into park. "What are you doing?"

"I'm ending this!" Leah snapped, getting out of the car.

Celeste was highly confused. She turned about in her seat to see the other car behind her and another woman get out. _What in the hell is going on? _ Deciding that it was probably a good idea to get out of the car, she climbed out, noticing that Copper in the back seat started to whine. That couldn't be a good sign. The dog was extremely protective of Leah.

Leah was standing at a safe distance away from the other woman and her voice was so loud it was bordering shrieking. "What do you want from us, Jeanne?" Her hands were shaking, her eyes slightly wide. "We did _nothing _to you!"

Jeanne snarled at Leah, Copper barked furiously in the back seat of Leah's car. "Nothing? Spreading lies about me to your fiancée is nothing? And what about my father? Was he nothing too? You both have _ruined _my life!"

Celeste could see that they were becoming a scene in the middle of the street. "Leah... we should go." When her friend refused to move, she gently grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back towards the car.

"I'm going to make sure Tony gets what's coming to him for murdering my father!" Jeanne shouted at Leah.

"Stay away from us!" Leah cried, near sobbing.

Celeste put her in the passenger seat and then went to the driver's side, tossing a glare at Jeanne before she got in and slammed the door shut. She quickly drove away, watched as Copper leaned over from the backseat and licked Leah's tears away. Tim had mentioned something about a woman giving Tony and Leah problems, vandalizing their door. Celeste had no idea that it had gone this far that the woman was stalking them. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Tim. "Yes, I know you guys are tailgating, but I think you and Tony should come to the apartment—_now._"


	43. Accident

**Warnings:** None for this chapter.

**A/N:** Good morning! Here's an update for you to enjoy!

**Guest-** _I suppose that it is entirely possible that some of the money that Rene made from dealing weapons paid for Jeanne's schooling._

**E-** _I'm sure Tony had his way of tricking Tim into giving him information about Gibbs and Hollis and into being a total gossip lol._

* * *

Fending off Copper's welcome, Tony made his way into the apartment. Grabbing a hold of the dog's collar he commanded the dog to _stay _so he could get to the heart of the matter. "What happened?" he asked Celeste.

Celeste glanced into the bedroom. "She noticed that we were being followed, slammed on her brakes and parked the car in the middle of the street. She got out and confronted this woman... her name was French... Jeanne I think? I don't know... either way the other woman was obviously pissed and was making Leah anxious. I thought it was probably a good idea to get out of there before the police came, before Copper could get out of the car and attack..."

Tony clenched his fists at his sides. He should have known that Jeanne was going to target Leah again. She had intimidated Leah before, bullied her before—she was an easy, known victim for Jeanne. "You did the right thing, Celeste," he told her, softly.

"What are you going to do, Tony?" Tim asked. "It's obvious she's stalking Leah."

"She blames me for her father's death," Tony answered, "And she's taking it out on Leah."

"If she blames you there's a chance that she blames Leah as well," Tim pointed out. "Leah was the one that brought _you _into her father's life."

"Can you do me a favor, McGee?" Tony questioned.

Tim nodded his head. "Sure. Anything... well... maybe not anything..."

Tony smiled and pointed towards his laptop. "Pull any information you can on Mark Truman. I need something to slam Jeanne with."

"Shouldn't take me long," Tim promised as he went towards the laptop.

"What can I do?" Celeste inquired. "I know I'm not a super smart federal agent but I want to help."

"Run down the street and grab a pizza for lunch," Tony suggested, handing her some money for good measure.

Celeste took the money with a grin and grabbing Copper's leash said she'd take the dog for a walk too. Tony watched as they left and then ventured into the bedroom where his fiancée was lying on her stomach, one side of her face buried in her pillow.

Leah must have heard him come in because she whimpered, "She won't let up. She thinks we ruined her life. I know what happens to people that she perceives as threats, as people that have hurt her. I don't know what to do."

Tony sat down on the bed and reached out, running his fingers along her back. "But I do, sweetheart. We're going to visit an attorney friend of mine. I have everything that you told me that happened at Harvard, we can show them that this is her pattern of behavior, that she's traumatized you before... that it will escalate to violence if we don't do something about it. He'll help us file a restraining order. If she comes near you again after that order has been filed she can be arrested."

"A restraining order isn't going to stop her," Leah whispered, closing her eyes tightly. "Nothing stops her but threatening to take away her money..."

"What?" Tony asked, a thought popping into his head. "What did you say?"

"She only stops when her money is threatened," Leah repeated. "When she was bullying me back at Harvard, Rene threatened to cut off her funding if she didn't stop."

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple. Tony pulled back and rubbed her arms. "Guess what, bella, you just figured out what to do."

She rolled over onto her back and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I did?"

_You did, _Tony thought as he kissed her, gently. _You did. _

* * *

Greg Henderson placed a file onto Tony's desk and took a step back. "Something happen this weekend, boss?" he asked. He had noticed Tony seemed tense since he had come in that morning, late, which was unusual for the team leader.

Tony looked up from his paperwork, signed his signature to Debra's report that he'd just finished reading, and answered, "Jeanne Benoit was following Leah again. I have a request into the D.A's office for a restraining order."

"Leah alright?" Greg asked, sincerely. He liked his boss' fiancée—she was nice, funny—he hated how the couple was being stalked and harassed.

"She's fine," Tony replied, opening the file that Greg had given him. "This the report on that kid we busted selling counterfeit Apple products?"

"Yeah. No surprise he plead guilty and asked for a deal," Greg said with a little bit of grin. "Guess you scared him, boss."

Tony chuckled to himself while he read over the report. It had not been hard to scare the kid. He was eighteen, never been in trouble with the law and just looking to make a few extra bucks to pay for college classes. Tony signed his name to the report and handed it to Greg. "Wish my problem with Miss Benoit was easier to fix."

Greg took his file back and tucked it underneath his arm. "Have you thought about talking to Mark Truman? Given what I know about the rich, I highly doubt he'd be pleased to know that his fiancée is running around harassing and bullying."

"It has crossed my mind," Tony said. "I think it's time that I had a little chat with Jeanne, here, in my house."

"Playing with fire, Tony," Greg warned him.

"Wouldn't be the first time."

"Hope you don't get burned."

Tony sighed and gave a little shrug of his broad shoulders. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Greg chuckled. He had heard all about Tony before the other man had started at the FBI—from Tobias Fornell of course. Who Greg had pictured coming in to take over the team was not who had showed up on that first day. Tony was a great agent, took risks, bended the rules a little... and perhaps he was a bit of that cowboy that Fornell chatted about. But he could clearly see his new boss playing with fire, as often as he could, even getting singed a few times. "Want Debra and I to go pick up Miss Benoit?"

"Nope," Tony said, standing up. He secured his badge to his belt and then tucked his weapon in his holster. "I'll do it. Make sure you have an interrogation room open when I get back."

* * *

"You and I have little bit of a problem," Tony said, dropping a file folder down onto the table in front of Jeanne. "I think I made it very clear to stay away from Leah."

"She got out of the car first, not me," Jeanne said, glaring at him. "It certainly didn't warrant you dragging me down here to the FBI."

Tony sat down at the table across from her. He opened the file and placed it on the table. "This is a restraining order, issued by the city of Washington—it prohibits you coming anywhere near Leah, let alone speaking to her. By the way... that includes a telephone. So don't even think about starting to harass her over the phone. Before you tell me I have no grounds to file a restraining order—I do. Your past history with Leah and your tendency to escalate to violent acts convinced the Judge that this was necessary."

Jeanne clenched her jaw. "Must be nice to have some pull in the legal system. Why should I have to stay away when _she _got out of the car and started yelling at _me?_ My life has been ruined because of you and she gets to ride off into the sunset..."

"So what's next then, breaking her windshield? Throw eggs at her while she comes back from grocery shopping?" Tony questioned, reciting what he had read from the file he had received from Harvard. "You have a history of terrorizing people that you feel _wrong _you. You're lucky that the Judge didn't think I had enough to arrest you or you'd be spending the night in jail. And a night in jail... well... that would certainly hurt your fiancée's ego... not to mention... your mother's standing in Boston society, which I bet took a hit when they found out your father was selling weapons. You go to jail you probably lose your cushy lifestyle."

"This is harassment," Jeanne hissed, standing. She slung her purse over her shoulder. "Since I'm not under arrest, I do not have to sit here and take it! You better believe I'm calling my lawyer and taking you to court for unlawful detainment!"

Tony got up and opened the door for her. He asked Greg, who had been watching from Observation, to escort Jeanne out of the building. He slapped the restraining order in her hand. "Here, this is your copy—don't lose it. I'd hate for you to forget."

Jeanne shoved the paper into her purse and stormed out, leaving Tony standing behind with Debra, a pensive look on his face.

His agent turned towards him and frowned, "You realize that this is probably only going to make things worse," Debra said.

He did realize that it probably made things worse but it made things easier legally for the next time Leah caught Jeanne stalking her. "Worried that something is going to happen to me, Debra?" Tony quipped with a smile.

Debra tossed him a slight glare. "Yes. That woman is crazy. I read that file from Harvard... all those things she did to Leah... nothing is going to stop her from escalating to more violent acts. Maybe you should send Leah home to Boston for a few days..."

Tony had thought about that but it wouldn't take much for Jeanne to find out where Leah had gone and maybe recruit some of her old friends to torment his fiancée again. At least here in Washington he could protect her. "I'm hoping that a little common sense will prevail here."

"Well then, you're eternally optimistic," Debra replied. "Because I think common sense went out the window weeks ago for Jeanne."

"Did you get me the address and number for Mark Truman's office?" Tony asked, changing the subject.

Debra handed him a small piece of paper. "I did, but he's out of the country on business until Thursday."

Tony shoved the paper into his pocket. "Guess I have an appointment with him on Thursday then." He straightened his suit coat and headed back towards his office. He hoped that the restraining order would hold Jeanne at bay until then.

* * *

McGee met Tony at a downtown restaurant. He had a huge file on Boston society and some of it made his skin crawl. It made him appreciate his Navy upbringing just a little bit more, and had given him a different perspective on Tony.

Tony looked tired. McGee could guess that the day had been long for his friend having to meet with lawyers and judges to get a restraining order in place. But it needed to be done to protect Leah. "You get something for me, McGee?" the FBI agent asked, sitting down at the table.

He handed the file over. "Lots of stuff. This was all public record by the way, found in the society pages of Boston newspapers," McGee replied. "No hacking involved."

Smiling, Tony flipped through the file. "Thanks for doing this. I appreciate it."

"Did that stuff I found about Harvard help?"

"Yeah. It did. Convinced the Judge to give me a restraining order."

McGee leaned back in his seat and wished he could feel some kind of relief in those words, but the truth was, after listening to Celeste talk about the encounter with Jeanne the day before—he was worried. He was worried for both Tony and Leah's safety. "You'll watch your back, right Tony? I've been reading that file on all the horrible things that Jeanne did to Leah at Harvard... you realize that bullies tend to escalate and this could become violent."

Tony sipped his water. "Yeah, I know that, Tim. Why do you think I got the dog? Leah may have wanted him to keep her company while I'm working late, but he's there to keep her safe. Jeanne threatens Leah I wouldn't be surprised if Copper bites her."

"And what about you? Who's gonna protect you if Jeanne tries to hurt you?"

"McGee... are you worried about me?"

"Yeah!" McGee gasped. "I am! This is... well... this is crazy, Tony!"

"Don't worry, Probie," Tony said with a smile, "that's why I have the gun."

McGee frowned. "Something tells me that the gun doesn't scare Jeanne Benoit."

Tony shrugged. "Don't need it to scare her—just to keep her away from me." He gestured for a waiter to come over to their table. "Now," he said, "since you did all this hard work for me, let me buy you a drink okay? Least I can do."

"I don't know, I told Celeste I'd meet her for dinner," McGee said looking at his watch.

"Probie! One drink," Tony stated. "And then I'll let you go on your date."

"Fine," McGee conceited, "I'll stay for one drink. But if I'm late you owe me."

* * *

Leah stopped outside their apartment building and checked her pulse. Gripping Copper's leash tightly she began her post jog cool down stretches, making sure to give the pup a healthy drink from her water bottle first. She patted him on the back to give him a little praise for keeping up with her in this heat and humidity.

It had been a relatively quiet day. Tony had called just after lunch and said that he got a judge to sign off on the restraining order and that he would be a little late for dinner—he was meeting with Tim after work. She had not seen any sightings of Jeanne or even had any inkling that Jeanne was following her. Perhaps she was taking the hint and backing off some. Maybe the badge that Tony carried scared her just a little bit.

Copper whined a little and Leah stood up, rubbing his back reassuringly. She took a long sip from her water bottle before giving the dog the rest. As she was pulling her key out of the pocket of her jogging pants, she noticed a black sedan pulled up. Instinctively she tightened her hold on Copper's leash and watched as the doors opened. Two men she didn't recognize got out of the car and flashed her their ID's. FBI.

She froze, Leah could feel her heart beating rapidly and not from her jog this time. Every hair on the back of her neck stood on end as one of the FBI agents stated, matter-of-factly, "Miss Dawson, I'm afraid there's been an accident."


	44. Intentional

**Warnings:** No spoilers for this chapter.

**A/N:** Happy weekend! It took me a long time to write this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it :)

**E-** Jenny isn't making an appearance for a while.

**None-** Well, Leah is going to her parents and Tony is going on the warpath, but it wasn't Tim that was injured.

* * *

Gasoline was the first thing Tony smelled and noticed when he came too. The second then he noticed was that he was stuck in the backseat of a taxi cab, covered in tiny pieces of glass. Struggling against the seatbelt in the back of the cab, Tony groaned and opened his eyes. A hazy smoke was rising up from the engine of the cab, filling the tiny space.

Tony fumbled about, aware that blood was running in his left eye. He managed to get his seatbelt loose and free. Leaning over the seat he checked the driver for a pulse, which roused the middle aged African American man. "You alright?" Tony asked.

"Yeah," the driver grounded out. "Head hurts... so doesn't my neck... but I don't think I'm bleeding."

"Just stay still alright?" Tony instructed him. "Fire fighters will get you out."

"Sorry, sir... didn't see that other car until too late," the driver apologized.

Tony pat him on the shoulder, reassuring him that it was not his fault. The other car had come out of no where, the cab had managed to dodge it but sent it hurdling into a parked garbage truck. Briefly he wondered if the truck workers were all right. They had been stopped after all to pick up trash...

He couldn't think about that right now—right now he had to think about getting out of this cab, calling Leah... if she got wind of this through someone other than him... she was going to be a wreck, especially with everything going on around them. They did not need this right now, not with Jeanne terrorizing Leah, threatening to teach Tony a lesson. _I should have just gone straight home..._

"DiNozzo?" Tim's voice called into the cab. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Tony answered, turning about to see Tim leaning in the shattered window of the back driver's side door. "Guess you were smart to walk..."

Tim looked into the cab, at the mangled passenger side. "Yeah... I tried to get in touch with Leah..."

Tony shook his head. "She's probably out with Copper..."

"FBI was going to send a car to pick her up and meet us at the hospital."

"I don't need to go to the ER, Probie!"

"Tony... you're bleeding from your head!"

Sirens could be heard in the distance, getting louder and louder. Tony could feel himself getting off balance... "McGee... I'm fine," he muttered just as everything around him spun and went black.

* * *

Leah's stomach tightened when she heard the agent announce his news with so little emotion. _Miss Dawson, I'm afraid there's been an accident. _ She clung to Copper's leash, the dog whining, wanting to get out of the heat and get dinner. He didn't understand the dread that had fill her. "What... what kind of accident?" _Tony doesn't have a car... he's been taking public transportation... _

Grimly the agent answered, "There was an accident with the cab Agent DiNozzo commissioned to take him home. Car pulled out suddenly and when the cab swerved to miss it, it crashed into a garbage truck. Agent DiNozzo was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for his injuries. Miss Dawson, you really should get to the hospital. I think he would want you there."

She wanted the ability to turn the clock back, to insist that Tony come right home and not meet Tim. If he hadn't gone to meet Tim then... well... he wouldn't be at the hospital right now. _Oh my God! Tim! _"Agent... Agent McGee? Was he in the cab with Tony?"

The FBI agent looked puzzled. "I don't know who that is... someone on Agent DiNozzo's team? Agent Henderson said that Tony was the only one hurt from their team and he was the only passenger in the cab. Was he with someone, Miss Dawson?"

Leah nodded her head. "Yes. NCIS Agent Timothy McGee... he was... he was meeting him after work today. I don't... I don't know why. Is... where is Agent Henderson? I would have thought he'd come to pick me up..."

"Agent Henderson is leading an investigation at the crash scene," the agent replied.

"You said it was an accident," Leah snapped, her nerves frayed.

"Right now it looks like an accident. Why don't you go upstairs, change, bring your dog into your apartment? And then we'll take you to the hospital."

"Okay... I just need a few minutes."

Leah tried to take a deep breath to calm herself. She found her keys and headed inside, the other agent coming with her. Inside the apartment he quietly waited while she fed Copper, made sure he had fresh water, and changed out of her running clothes. She used some perfume to freshen up and with shaking hands went back outside, and got into the black sedan with the FBI agents. "Is he... is he going to be okay?" she asked them meekly while the car pulled away from the apartment building.

Slowly the agent in the passenger seat turned towards her and sighed, "I don't know, ma'am," he said, softly, shattering her world completely.

* * *

Tony woke up with bright lights in his face. Panic set in as he remembered the car accident, but he couldn't remember if Tim had been with him in the cab or not. The mangled passenger side of the taxi flashed through his memories. If Tim had been in that cab... He struggled against whatever or whoever was holding him down, hands failing about...

Someone grabbed him by the shoulders, a shadow falling across his face and shielding the bright lights. "Agent DiNozzo," a deep voice said, "calm down. You were injured in a car accident... you're at the emergency room."

_Find Tim... have to find Tim! _Tony continued to fight off the doctor. He heard someone comment that he was strong; they were going to need help. If he was so strong than why wasn't he was strong enough to get up and go find Tim, to make sure that his former partner and friend was all right? If he was so strong he certainly didn't need to be in the hospital with an oxygen mask on and several doctors and nurses restraining him.

"Anthony," Leah's voice cut through the angry fog. "Anthony, stop struggling." Her hand gently rested on top of his head. She ran her fingers through his hair. "You're okay, you're safe."

_But Tim! _Tony found her with his eyes, his were flared slightly, hers filled with concern. Didn't she understand? Didn't she understand that he needed to get out of this hospital bed and find Tim...

Leah continued to stroke his hair. He felt his muscles start to relax. She was still talking to him but it was hard to make out her words. And then he realized... he had been given a sedative. Which meant that he was going to be falling back to sleep, that he wouldn't be able to get up and find Tim... he tried to fight the drugs but it was no use—in a matter of seconds Tony was back to being in an unconscious state.

* * *

"Is he going to be okay, Doctor?" Leah asked after she had managed to help the doctors calm Tony enough to inject him with a sedative.

"The cut on his forehead looks worse than it actually is," the doctor replied. "Head wounds tend to bleed a lot, so the blood loss contributed to his confusion as well as the reason he passed out at the scene. He's beaten up, but will make a full recovery."

Leah hugged her arms around her body trying to calm herself. Seeing Tony covered in blood, cuts and bruises had been shocking—seeing him fighting against the doctors and nurses trying to keep him from hurting himself some more had been terrifying. "I guess he was lucky he was on the driver's side of the cab and not the side that hit the truck."

The doctor nodded his head and sighed. "If he had been sitting on that side, more than likely he would have been killed. From what I've heard that side of the cab was demolished. Both the driver and Agent DiNozzo were lucky to have walked away from this crash."

She thanked him for his help and went back to the waiting area to sit with Debra. Greg was investigating the scene with Fornell, it was standard procedure the FBI agents that had picked her up told her, but she wasn't so sure. Since the driver of the other car had sped off Leah wondered if perhaps the FBI was investigating if this had been an attempt on Tony's life.

Debra was on her phone when she approached, looking up at her cautiously. She stood quickly and walked away, indicating that the conversation was not something that Leah could hear.

Leah's interest was peaked. Had that investigation found something? She watched as Debra hung up her cell phone and put it back into the pocket of her jeans. The female agent walked, slowly, over to where Leah was seated and sat down next to her. "Is everything okay?" Leah asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"Greg and Fornell don't think this was an accident," Debra stated. "They found skid marks suggesting that a car sped up and came at the cab. Witnesses say they heard the squealing of tires before the crash."

"So... someone was targeting Tony," Leah said, her chin trembling. She had warned Tony that this might happen, that Jeanne might escalate to even more violent acts the more he tried to put her in her place. "Was it Jeanne?"

Debra licked her lips and sighed. "We're not sure. BOLO was put out for the car and we're running the plates. Agent Fornell thinks that you should leave D.C for a few days, just until this all blows over. He's already talked to your father."

Leah could only imagine what her father had to say. She looked at her hands in her lap. "What about Tony? Is someone going to be staying with him?" She knew that he would not go off to Boston for a few days... not with Jeanne still out there...

"Agent Gibbs apparently offered his guest room."

"When does my father expect me in Boston?"

"Tomorrow morning. He booked you—and the dog—a flight. You might want to stop by the vet to get some medication for the dog."

She simply nodded her head. It was for the best, until things settled down. Besides, Copper would probably love the runs through the Common. "I'll go home and pack. You'll... you'll tell Tony where I am?"

Debra smiled at her, softly. "Yeah. I'll make sure he knows you're okay."

Leah stood up. "I'm just... I'm just going to go say bye to him."

She made her way down the hall to Tony's room. He was sleeping peacefully now, probably would sleep for the night thanks to the drugs. By the time he woke up she would be on a plane to Boston. She leaned down and pressed her lips to his cheek. Hopefully when they saw each other again this nightmare would be over.

* * *

"Ah, welcome back Anthony," Ducky's cheery voice greeted him when he opened his eyes. "I trust you had a good night's sleep."

"Yes. Thanks to whatever drug the doctor pumped me with," Tony grumbled. "What time is it?"

Ducky glanced at his watch and then around the sunny room. "About eight o'clock in the morning. The nurses came by and asked if they thought you would like some breakfast... I told them that you would like to get out of the hospital if it was okay with the doctor."

Tony grunted. Yes he wanted to get out of the hospital. He wanted to investigate that crash because his gut was telling him that it was no accident that the entire thing had happened. He rubbed his temple for a moment. "Is Tim... is Tim okay?"

"Fortunately, Timothy declined the cab ride," Ducky replied. "He was not hurt. He is worried about you though. You lost a lot of blood, Anthony."

"Yeah. I figured," Tony said. "I think it made me a little delirious. Scared Leah. Where is she? I want to see her."

"Agent Slater told me to inform you that Leah has gone to stay with Mr. and Mrs. Dawson for a few days," Ducky said. "Tobias feels that until the investigation of your accident is cleared up that it is best for her to be out of D.C for a few days."

Tony ground his teeth together. He knew it. He knew that Jeanne was responsible for that accident happening and as much as he wanted to see Leah... he was glad that she was away from D.C and safe for the time being. "Did she take the dog with her?"

Ducky smiled and nodded. "Jethro told me that you had gotten a dog... he figured it was to keep Leah safe. Yes. She took Copper with her. They both caught a flight to Logan early this morning. They might even be there now."

He sat up, the blood rushing to his head. Tony closed his eyes until the spell of dizziness had passed. "Have they located Miss Benoit yet?"

His former coworker reached out and helped steady him. Ducky sighed. "As far as I know, Miss Benoit has not been found. The car that fled the scene was registered to her fiancée, Mark Truman. And she has not reported into the hospital for her shift today."

"Mark Truman was out of the country for a few days. Possible they took a trip somewhere," Tony muttered. He opened his eyes. "So, she did try to kill me?"

"It is looking more and more likely," Ducky replied.

"Good, gives me a reason to lock her sorry ass up in jail," Tony snapped. He ran his tongue over dry and cracked lips, "And it's about time someone did it too."


	45. Security

**A/N:** Happy Monday morning! Hope this gets everyone through the day. Please let me know what you think of the conclusion to the mess with Jeanne. Be on the lookout for a more fluffy chapter next time :)

**E-** _Jeanne definitely is going to jail, but not sure what they would charge Mark with. Just because it was his car doesn't mean he knew about it and was involved._

* * *

Her cell phone was ringing, shrilly, waking her. Leah opened her eyes, found herself lying on her bed in her childhood bedroom, and then rummaged about on the end table for her phone. She flipped it open before looking at the caller ID and whispered, "Hello?"

Tony chuckled on the other end. He had waited until being settled in at Gibbs' house before giving her a call. He figured she'd be tired from her early morning flight anyways. "_Sorry. Did I wake you up? I wanted to make sure that you got to Boston okay?"_

Leah smiled and sat up. She reached out and stroked Copper behind the ears. "It's okay. Copper and I were just taking a little nap after our walk. We made to Boston just fine. Are you okay?"

_"Been better," _Tony said, not wanting to lie to her, "_Needed fifteen stiches in my head... it really did look worse than it was." _

"Are you at home?" Leah inquired.

"_Special Agent Gibbs is baby-sitting me," _Tony replied, sounding a bit grumpy. "_They want me to rest. I should be investigating."_

Leah looked at the sleepy dog on her bed. "You need the rest too, Anthony. You cannot arrest all those bad guys sleep deprived."

Tony sighed, frustrated. "_Leah, that woman tried to kill me. And if Tim had gotten into the cab with me, she would have killed him. The only way this is going to end is with me slapping cuffs on her and dragging her off to prison."_

She watched as Copper stretched his hind legs and gave his ears a little shake. "Please, promise me you'll take care of yourself."

He paused for a moment. "_I promise, I'll take care of myself." _

"You know I'll just call Agent Gibbs and make sure... so you better not be lying to me right now."

"_You drive a hard bargain... I'm not lying to you, Leah. I swear I'll take care of myself." _

Leah flopped back against the pillows of her bed, hugging an old teddy bear to her chest. "I hate that I'm so far away right now."

Tony could hear the sadness in her voice. He wanted to reach through the phone and hold her. "_Hopefully it's only for a few days. FBI has already ruled the crash an attempted murder... warrant has been issued for Jeanne's arrest. FBI just has to find her now."_

"She won't be easy to find. She has money, a passport."

"_Don't worry about it, sweetheart. Let me. You enjoy your visit with your parents."_

"Have you met my mother?"

"_Yes." _

"Okay so you know that I'm living in wedding planning _hell _at the moment."

Tony laughed and promised her that this was only going to take a few days. Jeanne had to turn up eventually and with the FBI, Metro and Baltimore PD on the look out for her—well it really was coming to end sooner rather than later. "_Leah, I love you. We're going to be alright, you and I." _

Leah sighed and hugged the teddy bear tightly. "I love you too."

"_Always?"_

"Always."

He felt his determination to get Jeanne only strengthen hearing her say that. Tony told her he loved her one more time before hanging up. Hopefully the next time he called it would be to let her know that she could come home, that D.C was safe—relatively speaking—for her once again.

She shut her cell phone down and put it back on the end table. Rolling over onto her side, Leah hugged the teddy bear and watched Copper. The dog was still half asleep, not quite ready to wake up from his nap yet. She reached out and ran her hand over his back. It hadn't been necessary to send Copper with her to Boston but Leah was glad that he was here. He really was comforting. Once again, even when Tony wasn't around, he was still taking care of her.

A sad, small smile crept across her face. Leah understood that their love story wasn't conventional. He had met her while on an undercover operation thinking that she was his mark. Fate, apparently, had other plans for them. And she had never questioned how Tony felt about her. Somehow, even when she had thought about ending the relationship because of his hiding the truth, she had known he loved her.

Leah smiled to herself, curled back up and fell back into a peaceful sleep with Copper snuggled at her side.

* * *

Gibbs had pizza waiting for him when he got off the phone.

Tony shoved his cell into the front pocket of his jeans and sat down at the dining table, his mouth watering as he smelled the pizza. "I know what you're thinking," the younger man said. "You don't want me involved in this case."

"She's already vandalized your home, stalked your fiancée and now has tried to kill you," Gibbs pointed out. "So, yeah, I don't think you should be involved in this case."

"Yeah... are you going to sit there and tell me that if someone had tried to kill you that you would sit at home and let someone else handle it?" Tony quipped.

Gibbs gave him a pained expression. Tony knew he had hit the nail right on the head. "I just think that you have more to live for than I do, Tony," the former marine finally said after several seconds of silence. "No one would be missing me if I were to get killed. I don't have a Leah at home waiting for me."

Tony eyed him skeptically. "What about Hollis? I thought you were still together?"

"Hollis and I have a different relationship than you and Leah," Gibbs simply stated.

"Gibbs... you cannot keep me locked up here," Tony said, eating his pizza. "I need to be a part of this case. Otherwise, you should have sent me to Boston with Leah."

He looked at his former second in command, sadly. Gibbs knew that there was no way he was going to be keeping Tony from investigating this case. Probably no way he was going to keep him from slapping handcuffs on Jeanne Benoit himself. "Just don't want to see you get burned, Tony. That's all."

A sly smile spread across Tony's face. "Gibbs... incase you were not aware—it's a little late for that. Fifteen stiches in my head, remember? I consider that getting burned."

"You were lucky it wasn't too bad."

"Yes, I only got first degree burns and not second or third."

"Do you always have to make a joke out of everything?"

"Only way to get by sometimes, Gibbs."

Gibbs leaned back in his chair. Over the years Tony had created masks and walls to protect himself. He assumed that had something to do with his childhood, and then when Wendy left him... well, that certainly had changed the younger man for the worst... on the outside at least. "You worried that this is far from over?"

Tony sighed and put his unfinished pizza down. "Of course I am. I just... Leah was tortured enough by that woman back in college. Do you know that she almost committed suicide? Her friend found bottles of half used prescriptions that she had stolen from her grandparents medicine cabinet. That was when Mr. Dawson was called and he intervened."

He saw the pain in Tony's eyes, the need to keep Leah safe and away from all this. "Things are different now, Tony. She has you. And I think she understands that having you is the big difference than back then."

Slowly Tony stood and rubbed his hands across his face. "Don't take this the wrong way, Gibbs... but today has been exhausting. I think I'm going to go lay down and take a little nap. When I wake up... we can discuss how we're going to proceed in catching Jeanne."

"We? NCIS doesn't have any jurisdiction in this case."

"One of your agents was involved."

"Tony, how hard did you hit your head? You don't work for me anymore."

"McGee was with me."

"Not in the car."

"Jeanne doesn't know that."

Gibbs was still skeptical but he was getting tired of arguing with Tony. "Fine. Go take your nap. I'll clean up this pizza."

Tony grinned as he disappeared upstairs, "Thanks, boss. Can always count on you!"

* * *

"I have to say, I'm a little surprised that FBI agents are looking for Jeanne," Mark Truman said early the next morning in his top floor office. "Did she do something?"

"You ask that like you're not surprised," Tony pointed out, taking a seat across from Truman.

Truman shrugged his shoulders. "I've known Jeanne for a while. She can, let's just say, she has a nasty temper. Sometimes happens with spoiled rich girls. She's used to getting her own way and when it doesn't go her way... look out."

Gibbs licked his lips. "Has she ever gotten violent with you?" he asked, honestly.

"Once. Long time ago," Truman admitted. "Truth be told that was my own fault for getting a bit too drunk and chasing after other women."

"What did she do to you?" Tony asked, through clenched teeth. Leah had been one of those other women Mark had "chased".

Truman sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Mostly came at me with her fists, yelling and screaming that I had embarrassed her by sleeping around. My parents smoothed things over when we broke up the first time, think Rene paid them some money to keep things quiet. He certainly paid for her temper tantrums at Harvard."

Tony glanced at Gibbs. He had the NCIS agent read over the file from Harvard just so Gibbs had an idea what they were dealing with. "I'd say there were a bit more than temper tantrums. She flat out bullied Leah."

"She flat out bullied a lot of young women at that school," Truman said, firmly. "Leah was the most prolific thanks to her parents."

"Rene pay off the Dawsons too?" Gibbs asked.

"Paid them off and then threatened to take away Jeanne's funding for medical school," Truman replied. "That was one way you could get Jeanne to do what you wanted her to do, take away her money. I don't think she ever forgave Leah for getting her parents involved."

Tony took a deep breath. "Did you notice your car missing in the last few days?"

Truman was confused. "My car? I haven't been home... business trip and when I landed I came straight here. Why?"

"Your fiancée tried to kill me with it," Tony stated.

"She isn't my fiancée anymore. After all that mess about her father came out when his body was found I ended the relationship," Truman replied. "She really tired to kill you?"

"Yeah... the stitches in my skull are from her coming at my taxicab the other night," Tony quipped.

Truman frowned. "Guess I should have known that she hadn't changed. She must have still had a key to my car. Thought I got everything back from her. Was Leah with you? Is she alright?"

Tony clenched his fists. "Leah was not with me. She's fine."

"Good."

"Do you know where she is now?"

"No. I haven't seen her in months."

Gibbs pulled out his cell phone and dialed up McGee. "Hey. Trace the GPS locator in Mark Truman's car," he ordered before hanging up. "Any idea where she might have gone?"

Truman thought about it for a moment. "If she wanted to get out of the city, her parents own a house up in Vermont. She might have gone here to get away. Sorry that I cannot be of more help Agent Gibbs."

Tony only had to look at Gibbs once to know what their next course of action was—they were going to Vermont.

* * *

It was odd seeing Tony in an FBI jacket, Gibbs decided. The blue stood out against the grey sky in Vermont. A cold mist was coming down off the mountains and surrounding the cabin that they had managed to track Jeanne.

State police had closed off the road leading up to the cabin so she couldn't leave and waited until the FBI, along with Gibbs in tow, arrived. So far, according to the State police there had been no problems. Gibbs was glad for that. It might mean they could arrest Jeanne and cart her ass back to Washington without so much as flexing a muscle. It probably was not going to go that smoothly, but one could hope.

Tony, followed by Greg Henderson and Fornell, headed up the porch steps. He had the warrant in hand and he pounded on the door furiously. "FBI, Miss Benoit. Open up."

Gibbs saw movement in the house and brought his hand to his weapon, just in case he had to draw it quickly. The woman had proven violent already by going after Tony with a car, there was no way of knowing what she was capable of.

"Miss Benoit! FBI! We have a warrant for your arrest!" Tony yelled. "Don't make me break the door down!"

"DiNozzo," Fornell quipped, "Tone it down a notch, okay?"

He had to chuckle at the glare that Tony threw at Fornell. Gibbs had seen that look so many times... the creaking of the door caught his attention and he watched as Jeanne appeared, wearing beat up jeans and a white tee shirt. Her hair pulled back into a ponytail and evidence that she had been crying. _She saw the writing on the wall a long time ago, _Gibbs thought with a bit of satisfaction as Henderson began reading her her rights.

Tony was given the _honors _of putting the cuffs on her and leading her back to their car. There was a hint of a proud smile on his face as he slammed the door shut, and Gibbs thought that of all the people standing there, no one deserved that moment more than Tony.

* * *

"Miss Leah?" the housekeeper called from the front entryway. "Someone is here to see you."

"I'm in the reading room, Pilar," Leah called back, flipping through the pages of her book.

Since she had returned the other day people had been stopping by non-stop to see her—thus the life of a socialite. Leah knew her mother would frown upon her turning anyone down that came to visit. She was getting exhausted with all of them though...

Men's cologne, a very familiar scent to her, filled the room even before she heard his voice, "So this is what you've been up too," Tony said, grinning. He stood in the entrance of the reading room, wearing jeans and a white polo shirt, a duffel bag at his feet. "And here I thought you were miserable."

Leah dropped the book not caring that she lost her place and went to kiss him, passionately. "I was miserable," she told him. "You weren't here."

Tony sighed and ran his fingers through her hair. "Well, I'm here now," he stated.

"Does that mean..."

"Yes. She was arrested and is being charged with attempted murder."

She grabbed a hold of his shirt and buried her face against it. Over, finally, they could really say that this entire thing was over. She felt his arms wrap around her tightly and hold her against him. There was a sense of safety and security in his arms, something that had been missing all those years ago when Jeanne had been bullying her. But she had it now and she knew that as long as she had Tony, she was never going to lose that sense of safety.


	46. Crisis

**Warnings:** Suggested adult themes, is dark/heavy at the end of the chapter... not edited so if you find mistakes PM me :)

**A/N:** Happy Tuesday! I figured that most of you are in NCIS withdrawal like me so I figured I would post the new chapter early :) **Your support has been amazing! Every morning I wake up to find someone else has favorited or followed or left a review :) **

**E-** _Funny would should mention wedding plans... there's some brief talk about it here in this chapter :) And yes, I do plan to write the wedding, but unless Tony and Leah go off to elope... it won't be for a while lol_

**Guest- **_You read 45 chapters of a fanfic just to say that I want to blow Tony? LOL First of all, Tony is a fictional character, played by an actor who lots of people find sexy so... sure... if Tony was real, why not? Everyone has different sexual preferences and attractions, makes the world go around you know, our uniqueness... somehow I doubt you actually read the story and just decided to be obnoxious as your "pfft whatever" indicates. If you were trying to hurt my feelings you failed. I actually laughed, so thanks for that ;)_

* * *

Boston Common in the fall was beautiful, it rivaled Washington D.C during cherry blossom season. Crisp air, trees all different shades of vibrant reds, oranges and yellows—clear blue skies—it was just perfect.

Tony had only been to Boston once, a long time ago when he was playing college football for Ohio State. Back then he didn't do much wandering around the city. He was too busy worrying about his game and hanging out in hotel rooms with his teammates.

Leah had packed them a picnic lunch and they took the dog for a walk to the park. She told him about her favorite spot by the Frog Pond and they laid their blanket out there to eat. Copper curled up and fell asleep after a nice long walk. Not surprisingly he curled up right against Leah. Gibbs was right—perhaps Tony had allowed Leah to get a dog for the sole purpose of guarding her.

"We could get married here," he told her, "Next fall."

"Don't give my mother any ideas," she sighed, "she's already got a three hundred person guest list made up."

Tony chuckled as they lounged on the blanket after they ate their lunch. He wrapped his arms around her and laid down, pulling her with him. Copper whined and glanced up, but then stretched out and went back to sleep. Tony closed his eyes for a moment. He wished life could be this easy, this carefree, all the time.

Leah snuggled against him. "Tony?" she whispered into his chest.

"Yes, bella?"

"Do you think Jeanne will take a deal?"

He let his fingers languidly stroke her hair. "If I was her lawyer, I'd convince her to take the deal. Attempted murder on a federal agent is a serious crime. She'd be better off with the deal, might mean she'll actually get out of prison before she's eighty."

She closed her eyes tightly. "So... she could come back... when she gets out of prison?"

"Leah, stop worrying about things... just relax."

"Tony... could she come back?"

"No," he stated firmly. "The District Attorney is going to make sure that all deals he offers, all punishments he offers, comes with psychiatric treatment. She isn't going to come back and torment us—you—ever again. Bella, I promise to keep you safe, okay?"

Leah bit back some tears and nodded her head. Once she had moved away from Boston things with Jeanne had gotten better. They had barely spoken to one another at parties and events... but Tony coming into her life had been a catalyst for a lot of things. Perhaps jealous feelings stirred up between them when Jeanne saw how happy Leah was with Tony... when her relationship with Mark was just a sham... a business tactic by two rich and powerful families. "Can you promise to keep me safe from my mother and her wedding planning?" she asked, teasingly.

Tony laughed and hugged her, kissing the top of her head. "Sadly there is no law against overzealous mothers planning their daughter's wedding. But I do promise to let you have whatever you want..."

She sighed and felt like drifting off to sleep. "Okay... but right now I want a nap."

He chuckled and rubbed her back. "Okay. Take one. I'll be here when you wake up."

* * *

Celeste was different than most women he had dated in the past. While she was smart and well read, she also had this sensual side to her that he had not been expecting. He briefly wondered if Leah had that same sensual side... _Of course she does... Tony wouldn't have stayed with her if she hadn't... _Tim thought, lazily, as he sat on Celeste's sofa waiting for her to change so they could go out on their date.

Tim really liked her. She was attractive and fun. They had a lot to talk about and the night before they had spent it playing video games before they had some pretty wild lovemaking, the only problem was his light sleeper of a neighbor that had pounded on his door afterwards demanding that they have sex—quietly.

She had laughed and said part of the fun was letting your partner know—the louder the better—that they were pleasing you. His neighbor had gone off in an angry huff. Tim decided that perhaps their sexual encounters should take place at her apartment...

"Ready," Celeste said entering the living room. She was wearing a tight fitted, low cut top and jeans.

"I'll say," Tim growled, looking at her. "Maybe we should... order take out instead."

"Are you saying you want to go straight to dessert before dinner, Timothy?" Celeste asked coyly.

Tim crossed the living room and grabbed a gentle fistful of her hair and pulled her in for a searing kiss. "Yes," he sighed, "I want dessert before dinner. I want to take those clothes off of you and have my way with you in that bedroom."

Celeste moaned softly and dropped her purse. She wrapped her arms his neck and whispered, seductively in his ear, "What are you waiting for then?" She giggled when he scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the bedroom, where instead of ordering dinner, they made love for hours, as loud and as wild as they wanted and no neighbors complained.

* * *

"If you have the wedding here, in Boston, I'm sure we can pull some strings and have it the Park Plaza," Katherine Dawson said with a tight smile.

"Mom... I don't want to have it here in Boston," Leah said. "I want to have it in Washington. Most of our friends are there."

Tony could see the storm clouds raging in Katherine's eyes. For the last two days he had witnessed some epic mother and daughter battles over wedding plans. He reached under the table and gently latched onto Leah's hand. "It wouldn't hurt to entertain the idea, sweetheart."

Leah sighed and decided to just let the subject drop for now. She was the first of her two sisters to get married, thus her mother was going absolutely crazy with the wedding planning. She almost wanted to suggest to Tony that they just run off to Vegas... "Can we not discuss wedding plans for the rest of the afternoon? Please?"

Katherine opened her mouth to protest but decided against it when she saw the glare in Leah's eyes. "Fine. We can hold off anymore wedding plans until tonight after dinner."

"What's after dinner tonight?" Leah asked, almost nervous to find out.

"I have my seamstress coming to take your measurements for your wedding gown," Katherine said. "Every girl that shops on Newbury Street is doing that these days."

"Mom..." Leah started to argue but Katherine's cell phone rang. Her mother excused herself from the table and went to answer it. Leah looked at Tony. "If we leave now she won't know we're gone until we're back at the house."

Tony chuckled and tucked her hair behind her ears. "She's just being a mom."

Leah looked at him, seriously. "Have you ever seen _Gilmore Girls? _I'm Lorelei and my mother is Emily..."

"We could elope..."

"And then be disowned from my mother..."

He laughed again and kissed her temple. "It's only one day, sweetheart."

She sighed and rubbed her face with her hands. "I know. And I get it... Lauren is more than content to stay happily unmarried to her boyfriend of eight years... and Norah... hasn't had a steady boyfriend, _ever... _I might be the only chance of my mother getting to plan a wedding."

Tony rubbed her shoulders. It was obvious that planning this weekend was stressing her out. Wendy hadn't been close with her parents, and she certainly did not have the money and status that the Dawsons did. She had done most of their wedding planning on her own... _and then left me to clean up after her mess... _"It will be great. No matter where we get married. Besides, we need to pick a date first..."

Leah ran her tongue over her lips before taking a sip of her water. "Speaking of dates... did Tim say anything about Celeste when you saw him the night of the accident?"

"He was meeting her for dinner after our drink," Tony said with a shrug. "Why? Celeste having you do a bit of Intel?"

"She was just curious if he thought it was going well," Leah said, smiling.

"Does she think it's going well?"

"Apparently Tim isn't so shy in the bedroom..."

Tony let go of her hand and pressed both of his to his ears. "Not something I need to hear!"

Leah giggled and leaned over to kiss his cheek.

He pulled away suddenly and blinked at her. "Wait? I've seen _Sex in the City... _do you two girls talk about your sex lives together? What the hell have you said about me?"

She smiled at him, coyly. "Only wonderful things."

Tony started to say something when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He frowned. Although he'd been promised a few days rest and relaxation in Boston—and he had been there for three without interupption, there was always the possibility of a crisis happening and he needed to be home. He had a text message from Greg. _911\. Senator's five-year-old granddaughter missing. _"Damn..."

Leah leaned in to try and read the text message but he pulled the phone away. "What? What's the matter?"

"Bella, I really hate to cute our time short here," Tony sighed, "but I'm needed back in Washington."

"Is everything alright?" Leah asked, concerned.

Tony kissed her sweetly, and rose up from the table, shoving his phone back into his pocket before he left. "It's nothing you have to worry about."

* * *

Ziva David was surprised by the amount of press hanging around NCIS that morning when she arrived. She was even more surprised to find Tony leaving Director Vance's office, he was wearing jeans and a polo shirt, had stumble on his face indicating that he had not slept the night before, and there were dark circles underneath his eyes. "Why is Tony here?" she asked Langer.

Brett was busy filing away some paperwork and looked up at the FBI agent descending the stairs. "Don't you watch the news at all? The five year old granddaughter of a senator went missing... FBI found her body at two in the morning."

Her heart broke thinking about the death of an innocent child. "So... why is Tony here? If this is an FBI case..."

Gibbs appeared with his coffee. "Because... the child's mother is a U.S Navy Lieutenant. Tony is going to be working with us, joint operation, it was the only way I could get him to leave and go home and shower and shave."

"What's the matter Gibbs? Don't like my five o'clock shadow?" Tony joked when he arrived in the bullpen.

"Ya look like hell, DiNozzo," Gibbs quipped.

"Took a flight from Boston and immediately went to work," Tony said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I'll be fine, Gibbs. Used to you working me hard."

Ziva glanced briefly at Langer. She wouldn't lie, when she first saw Tony looking so horrible she had wondered for a second if the engagement to Leah had not worked out. But if he had come from Boston... "You should go home and rest. We have this, Tony."

Tony shot her a heated look. "A five year old little girl was molested, left to die in a swamp in Virginia. Her grandfather is a highly decorated war veteran and Virginia senator, and her mother works with the Office of Naval Intelligence. This is a high profile case... more importantly... someone needs to get that little girl justice."

Gibbs handed Tony his coffee. "Drink up," he stated, "this is going to be a rough one."

* * *

_I promise to not go into graphic detail what happened to this poor little girl, but since a little girl was found on Deer Island in Boston Harbor and no one has come forward to identify her, I keep hoping and praying that there is a Tony and a Gibbs in Boston trying to get this little girl some justice. The subject matter is heavy but I wanted to write this and dedicate to Baby Jane Doe... hopefully someday we'll have a name for her :(_


	47. Camilla

**Warnings:** Slight spoilers for Season 4, Season 1, if you blink you'll miss it.

**A/N:** Half way through the week! So here is another update for you to enjoy :)

**E-** _I know that Leah mentioned it, that her mother is Emily Gilmore, but that is who I fashioned Katherine Dawson's character after. The Gilmores were a rich family from Hartford and lived in a similar world to John and Katherine Dawson. When I watch my Gilmore Girls DVD's sometimes I see a lot of Leah and Katherine in Lorelei's and Emily's interactions. (minus the fact that Leah does not have a sixteen year old daughter lol)_

* * *

"Is the little girl that was found dead in the swamp the reason you came home?" Leah asked, surprising him when he arrived at their apartment to shower. Her blue eyes were filled with intense sadness. "I guess this a part of your job that you don't want to share with me."

"Darkness, evil, I see them everyday, Leah," Tony whispered, shutting the door to their apartment. He stepped inside and noticed that even Copper seemed a bit subdued. Of course that might be the tranquilizer he took for the flight home. "Is it wrong of me to want to keep you from all that?"

Leah shook her head and pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged herself. "No."

Tony stepped over Copper and went to sit on the sofa with her. "Talk to me. What's going on?"

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "It makes me sick that someone would do that to a little girl. She was a child Tony. When I was five I was having tea parties and going on adventures in my mother's backyard. Five year olds should be innocent and carefree..."

He reached out and wiped a tear that managed to escape from her cheek. "I can't explain all the evil in the world, sweetheart. I don't understand it myself how people can hurt a child... but they do."

"Is it worth it then? To bring a child into this world if we cannot protect it from all the evil?"

"I thought you wanted to have children?"

Leah looked away, bit down on her lower lip, nervously. "I do... it just scares me... that my child could be hurt like that."

Tony kissed her cheek and got up. "Bella, you wouldn't make a good mother if you weren't scared," he told her. "I need to go shower and shave or Gibbs is going to kick my ass when I get back to NCIS for looking like a hobo."

"NCIS?"

"Joint investigation. Little girl's mother was Navy."

"Tony," she said, weakly. "Do you think it would help if I prayed?"

"Put it to you this way," he responded, gently, "it wouldn't hurt."

* * *

Langer wasn't surprised that Tony returned dressed in a sharp suit, looking like he had slept the whole night rather than barely getting a wink. He also noticed that Ziva's eyes dilated with a hint of desire as the former NCIS agent passed by. Briefly, Langer wondered if Tony's fiancée knew that his former partner was lusting after him. "We have the mother in the conference room, DiNozzo. Do you want to talk to her?"

Tony pulled on the ends of his suit coat and glanced at Tim. "I'm sure that nothing I have to say is going to help her and my questions are only going to upset her more. Let's find something solid in the case to bring to her before I speak to her. I'm assuming that Gibbs has already talked to her?"

Tim let out sad sigh. "Yeah. It was... she's taking it hard. Camilla was her only child. Her husband died two years ago. Why do terrible things constantly happen to people? I mean, it wasn't enough that the universe took away her husband, it had to take away her child?"

"We're going to get who did this, McGee," Tony assured him. "You think Gibbs is going to sleep with a child murderer on the loose?"

"What? No way!" Tim shouted, his voice shaky. "Who the hell does this to a little girl?"

He understood, suddenly. This was Tim's first case involving a dead child. Tony had investigated homicides in Philly and Baltimore, even one with Gibbs back when they were a two man team... and Gibbs... he had gone nearly mad before Tony's time trying to find a child killer. Langer had surely landed cases like this at the FBI and Ziva... she had lost friends to violence in Israel growing up... her own sister had died in a bombing... but Tim... this was a first. _You never forget your first... actually you never forget any of them._

If there were any words that any of them could say to make Tim feel better, they would. But Tony, Langer, and Ziva all knew that there were not any words that could take away this kind of pain.

Ziva was the first one to speak, to find her voice. "Tim. We will find the killer. Our job is to put monsters like this away."

Langer grumbled, "It would be so much easier to just put a bullet in their heads."

"You might have to stand in line to do that," Gibbs announced as he entered the bullpen. "Mother wants answers, lets go get them for her. Tell me about the crime scene."

"Not much to tell," Tony said with a shrug. "We got a call from local police at about one thirty this morning. Someone thought they saw something in the water. When it was investigated Camilla's body was found—we were called in immediately. My team collected and processed the evidence."

Ziva's brow furrowed. "Your team?" she questioned. No one really knew around here what Tony was doing for the FBI, popular belief was that he worked for Fornell. She had never bothered to really look into it. What did it matter really? Tony had left NCIS for the FBI, that was all she needed to know. "You have a team?"

Tony shot her a hard look. "Yes. Did you think I just made a lateral move? FBI offered me my own team. I have a nice, sunny office, you should come see it sometime."

Gibbs stopped the conversation by getting Tony back on track. "FBI lab running a tox-screen?"

"Sent all the forensic stuff to Abs. Hope to have results soon."

"M.E have a cause of death?"

"Penny says she died of asphyxiation. Probably from drowning in the swamp. Her mother said she hadn't learned how to swim yet."

"Take Ziva and go see if your medical examiner has found anything yet," Gibbs ordered, "And I'd like a copy of her report, please."

Tony grinned hearing Gibbs say _please. _"Sure thing, _boss._"

Gibbs glared at him slightly. "Don't get sassy with me, DiNozzo."

"Sorry, Gibbs, just not used to hearing you say 'please'," Tony quipped before leaving with Ziva.

Langer watched his partner and DiNozzo leave, wincing just a bit. "Sure it's a good idea to send those two together, Gibbs?" _Clearly you've seen that David wants to get a little frisky with your former agent... _

Gibbs waved him off. "If Ziva had wanted to know what Tony was doing with the FBI, she should have asked him. She's the one that put up the walls around herself. And Langer, there's a reason for Rule 12... romantic feelings between partners... never ends well."

"But I thought that DiNozzo and David... never dated," Langer said.

"Didn't. But that doesn't mean feelings didn't develop," Gibbs replied.

"Ziva's still hung up on him," Tim muttered.

Gibbs shrugged. "No one's perfect, Tim. Sometimes you can't let go. Other times, it's easy."

Tim looked over at Ziva's desk and realized that she was the former, not that latter. She was struggling to let go. He just hoped this case didn't push her to do something that she would later regret.

* * *

After a painfully awkward, silent car ride over to the lab, Tony was happy to see Penny's smiling face. "Hey, baby," she greeted in her usual way. "I was expecting you hours ago. Are you losing your touch?"

Tony shook his head. "No. I went home to change, shave, and shower."

Penny frowned at him. "You should have taken the day, Anthony. You look exhausted."

"I've only had one coffee today," Tony replied. "On our way back to NCIS, I'll make sure to stop for more. But I can't rest until we find out who did this to this little girl. Someone has to fight for her."

"It's hard to fight when you haven't gotten any sleep, baby," Penny told him. "Don't make me call Leah..."

Tony chuckled. Penny had called Leah in the past to get him to slow down. His fiancée would either march down to the Hoover Building or call him on his cell phone to tell him that he needed to step back. After this morning, Tony doubted that Leah would be on Penny's side in this case. "Can you tell me anything else since last night?"

Penny sighed and nodded her head. "Poor thing's lungs were filled with swamp water. She drowned in that swamp. Found traces of fluid on her underwear, I sent that to the lab, also found some fibers not matching her clothes. It's over at NCIS, with their forensic specialist like you requested. She'd know more about all that."

Ziva looked sadly at the covered body of the child. "Any fingerprints?"

"No. But there was an impression of a ring on her back. Killer probably held her down in the water with his fist," Penny stated. "Sick bastard."

"Can we have a copy of the report for NCIS' M.E?" Tony asked, softly.

"Ducky? Sure! I'll make a copy of what I have right now," Penny said, smiling. "Tell him I'll send the final one over as soon as I have it."

Tony took the copy and thanked her. He led the way back towards the car, dreading the silent car ride back to NCIS. He wasn't sure why Ziva was giving him the cold shoulder, it wasn't like she had reached out herself to see him since he left NCIS.

Ziva got into the passenger seat and stared straight ahead. She knew that Tony did qualify for his own team, she just wondered why he had not bothered to tell her. Tim seemed to know more about Tony's life right now than she did. As a matter of fact, Abby seemed to know more. And that hurt. Why was he shutting her out?

He started the car up and pulled it out of their parking space. Tony entered traffic and settled in for the silent ride. _Maybe I should talk about the weather... _

"Why did you not tell me about your team?" Ziva finally asked. "A promotion like that... I would think you would want the world to know."

"Figured that Tim or Gibbs would have said something," Tony replied, honestly. "Or Abby."

"Well, they did not. Do I not deserve to be kept in the loop?" Ziva snapped, hurtful tears brimming her eyes. "I thought we were friends."

Tony sighed and ran his tongue over his lips. "Every time I saw you after I left... felt like there were these walls around you. Walls that you did not want me scaling and breaking down. So... I kept my distance. You always told me that I overstepped my boundaries a lot. I respected them this time... and you're still hurt. So, what exactly do you want from me, Ziva?"

Ziva bit down on her lower lip, fighting her tears. What she wanted she couldn't have. She couldn't have him. He was engaged to another woman. And as frequently as she told herself that the engagement would never work out... she was not going to be the one to end it. "Does not matter what I want, not anymore, Tony," she whispered. "Perhaps, some things are best left unsaid."

He didn't take his eyes off the road as he whispered back, "Perhaps they are."

* * *

"What's the big deal about DiNozzo, anyway?" Langer questioned Ziva when they were riding the elevator to the lab. "You're an attractive woman, you could find a man, easily."

"What is the point of this questioning?" she snapped, her nerves frayed from the case and interviewing witnesses all morning.

Langer smiled at her and shrugged his shoulders. "You've been drooling over DiNozzo since he came back in that suit," he teased her.

Ziva tossed him a glare. "So I like a man in a well dressed suit. Sue me?"

"Oh, you more than like him," Langer said. "I have a feeling if circumstances were different, if Gibbs hadn't been our boss with his rules—you would have gotten exactly what you wanted out of DiNozzo a long, long time ago."

"So it was a missed opportunity," Ziva snapped. "Those things happen all the time. I am not sitting around sulking about it. In fact, I think you are more concerned about it since _you _bring it up every time Tony is around."

Langer pursed his lips. "If it was such a missed opportunity and a no big deal one at that—you would have gone on a date by now. And the guy who died from radiation poisoning that you fancied there for a while does not count. Fess up, Ziva, you thought that one day you were going to ride off into the sunset with DiNozzo. And sadly, it turned out that he had other plans. Met a really cute brunette..."

Ziva stormed out of the elevator when it let them off on Abby's floor. The man could be as intrusive as Tony had been at times. But he didn't put up with her nearly as much as her former partner had. When she stepped over the line, Langer always let her know it. And yes, she could find a man, she just had not tried and frankly she did not think she wanted too. Men were far too much work...

Abby was standing at her table and turned with a slight smile. "Hey guys," she said, softly. There was no music playing in her lab, there had been none since she had been called in to help with this case. "I finished the toxicology screen—there were no drugs in Camilla's system. She was mostly like awake for the entire thing. What's going on upstairs? I haven't seen Tony, McGee or Gibbs all day. I did meet one of Tony's agents—Greg—he was nice and from Louisiana like me so we chatted about New Orleans for a while."

"Nothing is going on upstairs but tracking down leads," Ziva snapped, still annoyed at Langer.

"Oh... can you tell McGee that I miss him," Abby said. "It would nice to have someone go through all this evidence with."

"Sure she can tell him," Langer said with an annoying tone, "if she's not too busy following DiNozzo around like a puppy."

Ziva ground her teeth together and looked at Abby. "Is that all you have for us?"

Abby nodded. "For now. Sorry."

"It is okay. You will have more later, I have confidence in you," Ziva said before turning to leave. She decided to take the stairs so she wouldn't have to listen to Langer, even if what he spoke was the truth.


	48. Sometimes, It's Not Enough

**A/N: **Happy weekend everyone! I don't have much to say about this chapter, other than I hope you like it :)

**E- **_Most stories dealing with Tony leaving have him not mending fences with his old team. I wanted to be different. I wanted him to stay friends with his former co-workers, because in this case it was Jenny that drove him out not any of them. _

**None- **_Abby knows. And no she isn't going to get all jealous. I don't really see her getting jealous now. I think she shows more concern than jealousy, after all she did become friends with Delilah. _

* * *

Leah showed up after three o'clock with four pizzas, a dozen chocolate chip cookies and a tray of coffees. She had been informed by the FBI M.E that Tony was driving himself too hard and needed rest. She knew that she was not going to get Tony home to rest, not with a murdered little girl. So, she opted for pizza, coffee, and home made cookies. "Penny called me earlier. She was worried about you," she told Tony with a smile. "And I doubt you've eaten all day."

Tony smiled, sheepishly. He took the tray of coffees and the tin of cookies off the top of the pizza boxes before she dropped them. "Oh well... we've been rather busy," he said, honestly. It was the truth. Most of the day had been spent chasing down leads, interviewing potential witnesses and identifying potential suspects. He hadn't even thought about food until he smelled the pizza.

"Four pizzas?" Langer questioned, eyebrows raised. "How hungry do you think we are?"

"I know Tony," Leah said, simply with grin, "And he can eat one all on his own."

Ziva scrunched her face up and spat, "Anyone who knows Tony, knows that. It is not some big secret you had to uncover." Immediately she regretted the words. She had not meant for the flippant remark to come out... meekly she thanked Leah for the pizza and took the boxes from her, going and setting the pizza up on an abandoned desk near the bullpen.

Leah looked at Tony with some confusion. Was it something she had said? Done? In the past when she had come to NCIS with Tony his former partner had barely said a word to her, barely even looked at her... _oh, _she thought, _I understand now. _ "Celeste helped me bake the cookies, Tim. She would have come by but she was heading off to class," she said, deciding to ignore Ziva.

Tim looked up from his mountain of work and sighed. "Is she mad I cancelled our date tonight?"

"No. She said you're just going to have to make it up to her," Leah replied. "We're going to have a girls night."

"Girls night?" Ziva inquired, picking out a piece of meat lover's pizza.

"You know... where girls or women in this case... go out for drinks, watch a movie, without their significant others," Leah supplied.

Tony chuckled, softly. "I'm not sure they have girls night in Israel, bella."

Ziva glared at Tony. "We do. But I just did not go to any. My work with Mossad was more important than frivolous movie going." Again her eyes went wide and she regretted what she had said. Why was she being so rude? She made eye contact with Langer and thought about their conversation in the elevator. Were all these snide remarks because she was jealous?

Leah was getting ready to leave, and Tony had placed his hand on the small of her back while he walked her to the elevator. Before the doors opened he gave her a soft, tender kiss and a smile. Ziva clenched her fists at her sides and cursed Langer for being right. She was jealous. She was jealous of the way Tony looked at Leah, how they talked, how they touched with small shows of affection... she was even jealous of the golden brown hair that Leah had and her blue eyes.

She told herself that she needed to snap out of it. They had a case to work and a killer to find.

Tony returned, eyeing her cautiously. If Langer could pick up on the fact that she was jealous, so couldn't he. There was a silent urge within him to call her out on it, but Abby arrived in the bullpen then.

"Where's Gibbs?" she asked excitedly. "I have something! Something really, really, really big!"

"How big?" he countered. If she had something it would be the first big break in the case...

"The fibers that were found on Camilla's body are only found in certain models of a Rolls Royce," Abby said. "Your killer is a rich guy."

* * *

Celeste caught up with Leah downtown at a small bar. "Did the boys like their _care package_?" she asked with a smile as she took a seat at Leah's table.

Leah grinned and stirred her drink with her straw. "Tony was extremely happy that I brought him his own pizza." She pursed her lips together, thoughtfully. "I don't think Officer David was happy to see me."

Tucking her red hair behind her ears, Celeste grabbed for a menu and looked away. She had met Tim's co-workers for an after-work drink one Friday night. Ziva had been pleasant enough to her but once she got a couple of mojitos in her, she certainly had not been pleasant about Tony's new relationship. Celeste figured it was more of the booze talking than anything else. "Maybe the case was just making them all tense."

"Fess up, what do you know?" Leah asked.

"Fine. Don't tell Tim I told you this—Officer David has... well... _feelings _for Tony," Celeste said.

Leah waved her off, laughing. "I already knew that."

Celeste was confused. "How?"

"Tony told me that Tim said she was bugging him with questions after we had him over for dinner at our place," Leah replied. "Wasn't hard to put together."

"And you're okay with it?" Celeste questioned. She wasn't sure she would be okay if there was someone hanging around that had feelings for Tim.

Leah shrugged and took a sip of her drink. "I know that Tony loves me. And I know that he wouldn't cheat on me. Besides, I don't think Tony has any feelings for her. He might have been attracted to her when they first met, but he admitted that he was a different person back then and didn't see them in a relationship. She hasn't tried to make any moves anyways."

Celeste waved a waitress over so she could order a drink. She had known Leah for a few years now, since they both attended the same school, and she had never seen her friend this confident in a relationship before. She smiled, "Tony really is _the one_ huh?"

"Yes, he really is," Leah said with a smile.

"And there was never any doubt?" Celeste asked her, honestly.

"No. Not even when I asked him to cease contact with me. Somehow, I knew it was going to be okay," Leah answered. "Why? Trying to figure out if Tim is _the one_?"

Celeste really wasn't looking for _the one, _of course neither had Leah when she met Tony in Paris last summer. Their love story had just happened, a chance encounter at a flower cart. "I'm not sure we're there yet... haven't talked about it... I don't want things to get messed up because I brought something up too soon."

Leah shook her head. "You are not going to mess things up! According to Tony he's never known Tim to be in a real, solid, relationship. All the women that Tony has known him to be with are... floozy shall we say?"

"Floozy? How much have you had to drink?"

"Just the one. But come on! It's girls night!"

Celeste laughed. "Are we going to paint each other's toe nails later?"

Leah pursed her lips together, thoughtfully. "I'm not sure that Copper is fond of the smell of nail polish."

"Well, neither am I," Celeste pointed out.

"We could get a mani and a pedi?" Leah suggested. "And I have all sappy, chick flicks that Tony hates ready to go once we get back to the apartment."

"Sounds like you have everything planned out," Celeste teased.

"Both of us have needed this girls night for a long time."

"Agreed."

Leah put her drink down for a moment and looked at her friend. "I'm worried about them, Celeste. This is a hard case. An awful case. I just don't want them to take it personally because it will only hurt them."

Celeste reached out and pat Leah on the hand. "Listen, I highly doubt that Tony and Tim are going to go off the deep end. In fact I know they won't because they have us, and yes, we maybe a little crazy at times, but we're pretty well balanced. We'll keep them grounded."

She smiled, but she wasn't sure if grounded was what Tony and Tim were going to need. Escape was more like it. Leah just hoped that she provided enough of an escape for Tony so he wouldn't let this case eat him whole.

* * *

Tony opened the door to the conference room and stepped inside. The pizza, coffee and cookies that Leah had brought by earlier were starting to wear off slightly. Exhaustion was creeping in on him in every direction. Still, he had a job to do. With Abby's identification of the fibers found on Camilla's body they were able to narrow down a suspect—Louis Tuckerman, who was an ex-boyfriend of the Navy Lieutenant. And who also had lots and lots of money. "Lieutenant," he said to the grieving woman at the table, "I need to ask you a few questions."

Lieutenant Cassidy Roberts looked up and sniffled. It was obvious that she had been crying, and who could blame her, really. Red rims surrounded her eyes and her nose was raw. "Yes. If you think it will help you find Cammie's killer."

"Do you know anyone that would drive a Rolls Royce?" Tony inquired, sitting down at the table. "Fibers that we pulled from Camilla's body are only found in carpets that are installed in certain Rolls Royce models."

"A Rolls Royce? No, nobody I know has that kind of money to drive something like that," Cassidy replied. "My father-in-law would be the only one and he would never hurt Cammie, he loved her to pieces."

Tony took a deep breath. "Lieutenant, did you recently date a man named Louis Tuckerman?"

Cassidy blinked, rapidly. "Yes... why?"

"He has a Rolls Royce registered in his name," Tony replied. "I'm guessing that you never saw it."

"Louis had a lot of fancy cars. They were kind of his thing," Cassidy said. "You don't think that _he _killed my baby, do you?"

"We heard from one of your co-workers that the break-up didn't go well," Tony said, gently.

Cassidy looked at her hands. "Agent DiNozzo, are you married?"

Tony shook his head. "Recently engaged."

She looked at him them and smiled, tearfully. "When you look at her does the sun and the moon rise in her eyes? Does she make you feel all mushy inside, like you would die without her?"

He wasn't sure what to say, but managed to respond. "Yes. She means everything to me. I... I don't know what my life would be like without her and I hate to even think about what would happen to me if I lost her."

"Then you understand how terribly hard it was for me to date after my husband died," Cassidy replied. "He was my soul mate, my best friend. Louis would never compare."

"And for a guy that is used to getting what he wants, Lieutenant, it is very possible he extracted revenge by hurting Camilla," Tony whispered.

"She was one of the reasons we broke up," Cassidy admitted. "Dating him was hurting her..."

"Do you know where we could find him?"

"Louis? If he isn't at his home in Virginia, he might be at his beach house in the Outer Banks."

Tony thanked her and stood up. "I'll have an agent bring you home, Lieutenant. NCIS will keep in touch."

Cassidy bit back more tears. "You'll let me know... as soon as you find him?"

"As soon as the cuffs are on him," Tony promised her, "I'll let you know."

* * *

Gibbs was waiting for him outside the conference room door. "Langer and Ziva went to Tuckerman's home—he wasn't there," he told Tony. "Chances are he's on the run. And he knows that we're going to catch up with him eventually."

Tony ran his hand over his face. "Did McGee put a BOLO out? Alerting the airports, bus terminals, and train stations?"

"He did. Tuckerman's not getting out of the country," Gibbs told him.

"If he hasn't already left yet," Tony said, sadly.

He could see the turmoil in the FBI agent's eyes. Gibbs sighed, "Tony, this isn't your fault. Your team did everything you could do to find that little girl before she was killed. Don't let this case haunt you. You're a good agent."

The words, they were just not going to be enough. Tony couldn't help but thinking that if he had not been in Boston, had not had to fly back to D.C... that was at least ninety extra minutes that his team would have had to find Camilla before she was murdered. "Not good enough, Gibbs. I could have been better."

Gibbs resisted the urge to smack him on the back of the head. He had done away with that practice when Tony left; he hadn't slapped McGee, or even Langer. "Hardest thing to accept, Tony, as an agent, is that sometimes we are not good enough. We cannot save them all."

Tony squeezed his eyes shut. Perhaps he should take Penny's advice and go home to sleep—for a little while anyways. "Think Abs will mind if I bunk in the lab tonight?"

"No," Gibbs replied, "but maybe you should consider going home."

"Made a pact with myself that I wasn't going to bring all the baggage from work home," Tony replied, opening his eyes.

"Stupid idea, Tony," Gibbs told him. "One problem I had with my marriages after Shannon was that I didn't open up about work. I bottled it inside and it exploded, usually towards my wives in the form of anger at something stupid. Don't be me."

"You know, you're right, Gibbs," Tony said softly. He looked at his watch. Leah was spending the night hanging out with Celeste. He really didn't want to interrupt her... but his own bed sounded a lot better than a futon in the lab. He heaved a big sigh and nodded at Gibbs. He decided—he was going to be a part of girls night. "Soon as Tuckerman is found, you'll call me?"

Gibbs smiled, sadly. "Of course. Wouldn't want you to miss the fun of throwing his ass in jail."

Tony grinned as he walked way. "Best part of the job, after all! See you in the morning, boss!"


	49. Justice

**A/N: **Good morning! Happy Monday! Here's hoping a new update gets you through the day :) Just wanted to point out that in this AU Tony's apartment has TWO bedrooms. Before the show introduced us to Tony's place, I always pictured there being two bedrooms for whatever reason. We'll be time jumping and picking up with Jenny's storyline in the coming chapters. Until then, enjoy!

**Thank to everyone that has favorited or followed, and a big thank you to all the people that leave feedback, you guys rock :D**

* * *

"Oh boy, what tearjerker of a movie did you watch this time?" Tony asked when he saw Leah silently sobbing in the kitchen.

"_Titanic. _James Cameron should have found a way to keep Jack alive," Leah said, glaring at him through her tears.

Tony slipped out of his suit jacket and draped it over the stool at the kitchen island. "However, it would not have been historical accurate. And I know what a stickler you are for historical accuracy in movies."

Leah really glared at him now. "Well, sometimes there can be exceptions to the rules," she grumbled, wiping at her eyes. She put the plates she had been washing into the drying rack. "What are you doing home? I would have thought you'd be sleeping in your office tonight."

He sighed and sat down at the kitchen island. "Nothing I can do until our suspect is found and brought in for questioning. Gibbs thought it best if we all went home to rest. He'd give us the bat signal when the bad guy is brought in."

She chewed on her lower lip, looking at him sadly. "So... you know who killed that poor little girl?"

"We do."

"Why did they do it?"

"Angry at her mother for breaking up with him most likely."

Leah made a disgusted face. "Why not just... slash her tires or something that wouldn't have hurt an innocent child... murdering a child to get back at the mother... that's just... well, sick."

Tony ran his tongue over his lips and smiled at her, gently. "Does that mean if we ever break-up... that you're going to slash my tires?"

She glowered. "Bite your tongue. We are _never _breaking up."

He sighed. "You say that now..."

"Anthony DiNozzo... if I didn't walk away when a dangerous arms dealer was after you... I would think you'd realize I'm here for the long haul."

"Well, I'm glad, Leah Dawson, that you're in it for the long haul. Because I can't imagine life without you now."

Leah dried her hands and crossed the kitchen. She took Tony's face between her palms and kissed him. "I'm glad you came home for even a little bit. I hate these nights when I don't see you and know that you're working tirelessly to keep us all safe."

Tony stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Feels like I'm never home these days." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, sliding his arms around her waist and drawing her close. "I really need to work on that," he whispered, before passionately capturing her lips again. "Did Celeste go home?"

"She's sleeping in the guest room."

"Damn. I'd hate to wake her..."

"Mmmm, we had a lot of red wine... she'll probably sleep until morning."

He grinned, wickedly at her and moved in to kiss her once again, reaching down to pick her up and carry her to their bedroom. Tony laid her down on the bed and crawled over her, tickling her ribs as he did so. Her laugh sent his heart racing and he moved in, pressing his lips to hers in a searing embrace. Despite how much he really was enjoying making out with her, his exhaustion was really starting to set in now that he was in bed.

She pulled away from him and ran her hands through his hair. "You should sleep. We can do this when the case is over."

Tony shook his head, determined to power on he kissed her softly behind the ear. "I'm good."

Leah chuckled. "Anthony... you can barely keep your eyes open."

"I'm fine," he mumbled.

"No, you're not. You're exhausted," she countered, rolling him off of her easily and onto his back. She stroked his hair. "Go to sleep, Tony," she coaxed him.

Tony murmured something and reached for her, grasping her into his arms like a child would a favorite teddy bear. He planted a soft kiss on her cheek and fell fast asleep, as if he had no worries in the entire world.

Leah watched him sleep, feeling her body rise and fall with each breath that he took, and knew that despite his peaceful appearance right now... he was far from peace. There wouldn't be any until he had found that little girl's murderer, and even then, she wondered how much peace he was going to be granted.

* * *

Smells of pancakes and bacon, the sound of women's laughter, and his cell phone ringing woke Tony up the following morning. Opening his eyes he found himself tucked into bed, still wearing his suit pants and dress shirt, but Leah had taken off his tie and his shoes.

Rubbing his hands over his face he could feel the rough stubble growing there. Tony rolled to one side and grabbed his phone out of his pocket. Flipping it open he mumbled, "Yeah, DiNozzo."

"_Oh, did I wake you?_" Greg questioned on the other end. "_Sorry about that. Agent Gibbs wanted me to call." _

"It's alright, Greg," Tony replied, looking at the clock. "Crap. Is it really after eight?"

Greg sounded hesitant for a second. "_Yes. We sort of all agreed that you needed the sleep." _

Tony sat up and glared at no one in particular. "And you all would be..."

"_Myself, Debra... Gibbs," _Greg answered. "_Boss, you have to admit that you were pushing yourself too hard." _

"I hope you called me to tell me that you found the bastard," Tony snapped, "And not to make sure I got my beauty sleep."

Greg knew better than to respond with humor—his boss was on edge, even if Tony had gotten a decent night's sleep. "_Yeah. Agent Gibbs' team tracked him down last night. He was staying with a sister in Maryland. He just stepped out to bring his team some coffee and breakfast, but figured you'd want in on the interrogation." _

Tony sighed as he stood and went to find clean clothes. "You tell Agent Gibbs not to start that interrogation until I get there," he ordered before hanging up. Grumbling slightly, Tony took his clothes into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. A quick shower, a Pop-Tart for breakfast and he'd be good to go. _Although, those pancakes smell so good... no Anthony! You have a job to do! Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made, and sadly this is one of those times._

* * *

Louis Tuckerman didn't look like the kind of guy that would molest and murder a little girl and chances were that he had molested other little girls before Camilla. He looked normal enough, clean cut and shaven, not someone you would not trust your kids around, then again... what _did _those types of people look like, really? Tony noticed the pricey clothes the suspect had on—Armani—also recognized the scent of the cologne he was wear—Dolce and Gabbana.

Tony sat down, in his equally expensive suit, and with his equally expensive scent filling the air. "You're a tough man to track down, Mr. Tuckerman. Not very bright, though, if I had your kind of money, and I had just committed a heinous crime... I would have been heading for Canada or Mexico or some other foreign country—fast."

"You have no evidence that I committed this horrible crime," Tuckerman snapped. "Did Cassidy tell you it was me?"

"No. She seemed surprised herself. It was the fibers from your car's carpet that you left on Camilla's body that led us to you," Tony answered, truthfully.

Tuckerman bristled. "I own a lot of cars, Agent DiNozzo."

Tony nodded while Gibbs stated from the corner, "Yeah, but you're the only one with a connection to Camilla that owns a Rolls Royce."

"So that's why I'm here?" Tuckerman gasped, "Because I own a fricken Rolls Royce?"

"We have that car in our evidence garage now," Tony told him. "Suppose that our forensic tech is going to find trace evidence of Camilla in that. Once we have that we'll have plenty to fry you with... and believe me, murdering a little girl, in cold blood to get revenge on her mother... you'll fry."

Gibbs could tell that Tony had rattled the other man. His eyes went wide for a moment. "Unless of course... it was an accident. Perhaps too much fancy wine and you thought, what the hell... the little brat ruined my relationship..."

Tony added, "Except when things got out of hand... maybe when Camilla said she was going to tell on you... you just had to kill her. Molesting her wasn't enough... you knocked her unconscious and drove her out to the swamp where you drowned her... silencing her."

Tuckerman broken then. Yes, he wanted to get back at Cassidy. Yes, he had way too much to drink, but he never wanted to kill Camilla. "She just wouldn't stop crying! And threatening to tell her mother that I touched her!" he shouted at the two federal agents.

"Save your sob story for the jury," Tony snapped, standing up. "With all that money I hope you can get a decent lawyer—you're going to need one."

* * *

Ziva was waiting for Tony when he arrived back from Interrogation. She knew this was probably a stupid idea... "Tony. Do you think we could meet... for a drink some time?"

Across the bullpen both Langer and Tim's heads shot up. Tony looked slightly taken off guard. Ziva had barely uttered two words to him since Leah had shown up the day before with their dinner. And after their conversation in the car, he just figured that she would never want to talk to him again. "Sure... Tim and I usually meet at this great pub on Friday nights..."

She shook her head. "You misunderstood. I meant for just you and I to go."

He glanced, tentatively at Tim, who shook his head _no _quickly. Was Tim aware of something that he was not? Really, what would be the harm if he went out for a drink with his old partner...

"If you cannot go then it is not a problem," Ziva suddenly said.

"No, no I can go," Tony replied, ignoring Tim. He looked at her with a smile. "Just tell me when and where."

Langer made a strange coughing noise, which sent Ziva's head whirling about to glare at him. He simply smiled at her, but deep down he wanted to stop Tony from doing this although. It was never a good idea to accept an invitation for a drink from a woman that still had feelings for you.

Ziva didn't seem to see the problems it could cause. "Maybe we could meet Friday? Before your boys night out with McGee..."

Tim blinked and shook his head. "It's not really a boy's night out... Celeste and Leah usually join us."

"_Regardless_ of what it is called—is Friday okay, Tony?" Ziva asked again.

"Friday is fine," Tony affirmed. He glanced around the bullpen at the NCIS team. "Nice working with you all again—Langer, Tim—Ziva, see you Friday."

Langer, Tim, and Ziva watched as Tony walked swiftly towards the elevator, hit the button and got inside when the doors opened immediately for him. Langer shot his eyes upwards towards his partner. "Wow. Rumors were true, when you want something you go for it."

Ziva went back to her desk. "I merely asked him out for a drink. We are old partners, friends. I want to catch up."

Tim and Langer looked at each other. Somehow, both men highly doubted that she just wanted to catch up. Langer felt like saying that Tony and Leah had been through hell and they were still together, but if felt like a mute point at the current time. Ziva wasn't going to listen. She had what she wanted in her sights and damn anyone else that got in her way.

* * *

Gibbs knocked on Tony's office door. The younger man raised his hand and gestured for him to enter. "Lieutenant Roberts wanted to personally thank you for finding her daughter's killer. She was upset when you did not come with me when I informed her we had Tuckerman in custody. I told her that you were busy working on something else for the FBI."

Tony looked up to see his former boss standing there. "Sorry I didn't come with you, Gibbs. I have a mountain of paper work to catch up on. How is Lieutenant Roberts doing? I know that her daughter's death hit her hard."

"She'll survive, because that's what you do when you suffer a loss like this."

"Speaking from experience, Gibbs?"

He sighed, heavily. "Yes. After Shannon and Kelly died surviving was all I knew. Took me a long time to feel almost normal again," Gibbs replied.

For a brief second the FBI agent wasn't sure what to say. "What helped you with that, Gibbs? Feeling normal again?"

"One, I got the job at NCIS, and two... I met this pesky kid from Baltimore that was damn good at his job, a pain in my ass, and not someone I can shake—even when he leaves NCIS for the FBI," Gibbs replied with a grin.

"Huh, is that the same kid you once called your loyal St. Bernard?" Tony asked, grinning back, "Because if it is I know this girl that would say he's a pain in the ass too, but a lovable oaf that she wants to spend the rest of her life with."

Gibbs chuckled. "We wouldn't want you any other way, Tony, you realize that right?"

Tony smiled. "Yeah, Gibbs, don't worry... I'm not going to change much, even if I am with the FBI now. Being a pain in the ass—it's all part of my charm."

His friend—and former boss—couldn't agree more.


	50. It's Just a Drink

**Warnings: **If you're a fan of Tiva you might not like this chapter. No spoilers.

**A/N:** I'm truly intrigued by all the spoilers that came out this week. Tony and Joanna in Shanghai trying to shut down the calling, Gibbs not just jumping back from injury, and conflict between Gibbs and Tony... oh boy, I feel like we're going to need to buckle up here lol

Hope you enjoy this chapter! It's more of a filler chapter. Like I said we'll be getting back to Jenny soon.

**E**\- _I think Tony was smart about it and shut her down, guess we'll see what others think!_

* * *

It was Thursday night at dinner when Tim could no longer contain his concerns about Tony's meeting with Ziva the following evening. He had tried to talk to his old partner on the phone, but Tony's team had been pulled out on a case working surveillance of a Russian mob boss in Baltimore. According to Leah, this night had been the only one that Tony had been home...

Tim really hated to ruin a perfect evening otherwise. Leah had cooked them a fabulous chicken curry meal, not too spicy because she knew that Tim had a delicate stomach, and there had been nice talk about perhaps taking a long weekend trip in New York City together. Celeste had never been and Tony was insistent that they take her... He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He'd come here tonight not just for dinner and hanging out with two people that were becoming his best friends, and his girlfriend, he'd come here to let Tony know that tomorrow night would be a huge mistake—if he met Ziva for that drink.

Celeste was helping Leah clean up the plates and she commented, "It's too bad you guys can't join us tomorrow night for the ballet."

Leah smiled at her fiancée. "Tony has other plans."

"Other plans?" Celeste repeated with a whimsical smile. "What other plans? Are you baby-sitting the mafia again?"

"No. That gig was handed off to another team so the mob doesn't get suspicious seeing the same faces," Tony replied.

"He's meeting Ziva for a drink at the Adams House," Leah said, calmly, as she gathered up the remaining plates and disappeared into the kitchen.

Tim and Celeste both looked wide eyed at Tony—Celeste because she was surprised that Tony would meet his old partner for a drink, and Tim because he was surprised Tony had informed Leah.

Tony looked at both of them, innocently. "What? Did you think I would be stupid enough to hide from my fiancée that I was meeting another woman?" he questioned.

Celeste brushed her hair off of her shoulders. "No. I just didn't think you'd go out with another woman... that's all," she said before following Leah into the kitchen.

"She can't possibly think that I would cheat on Leah," Tony stated, looking at Tim.

"Come on, Tony, how do you think this looks to her? You're meeting a woman that has feelings for you," Tim argued.

"But I don't have any feelings for her, Tim, not anymore," Tony replied.

Tim stuttered and leaned back in his chair. "Wait? Are you saying that at one point... _you _did have feelings for Ziva?"

Tony nodded his head. "Yeah. I found her sexy in a dangerous way. But I knew that Gibbs would never go for it, and then he left... I was no longer just Ziva's partner, I was her superior officer... it would not have been appropriate."

"Did you ever...you know... sleep with her?"

"Other than the time we were pretending?"

"Yeah... besides that."

"No. I did not."

He was confused. "So... why... if you know how she feels about you... why are you meeting her tomorrow night?" Tim inquired.

Picking up his wine glass, Tony took a long sip. "Because, it's obvious that she isn't listening to you or Langer to move on. Isn't that the whole reason you shook your head at me the other day when I agreed to go with her?"

Tim shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah. I just don't want you to ruin a good thing, Tony. Leah has been... well... she's been great for you. She's changed you a lot—in a good way. I just thought that it would be disaster for you if you agreed to go out with Ziva."

Tony smiled at him, his green eyes filling with warmth, kindness. "Thanks for looking out for me, Probie. But I got this. Trust me, okay?"

Leah returned then carrying dessert—a bread pudding that she had made from scratch. She was talking about how the neighbor across the hall, although a bit of a cougar, was also a great baker and had taught her how to make this. She put it down on the table and noticed the uneasy look on Tim's face. "Don't worry, Tim. She tasted it herself and said it was good."

"He's not anxious about your pudding," Tony said with a smile. "He's anxious about my meeting wwith Ziva tomorrow night."

"Oh Tim," Leah said with a little laugh. "There really isn't anything to worry about."

"So... if the situation were reversed and you were meeting someone that still had the hots for you... Tony would be okay with it?" Tim asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Someone still has the hots for you?" Tony inquired, his face clouding over with jealousy. "Who is he?"

Leah gave a little shake of her head. "I think Tim was asking hypothetically—guess you have your answer, Tim."

Tony looked a little wounded. Okay, so he was the one more prone to jealousy than Leah in this relationship. Who could blame him? She was a decade younger than him and was always attracting the eyes of younger, more attractive men whenever they went out.

Celeste interrupted his thoughts when she said, "I think you should have a back-up plan, a fall out incase things go wrong."

"Nothing is going to go _wrong," _Tony assured them. "I'm meeting her for one drink, tell her that there cannot be anything between us except friendship, and leave."

"Okay..." Celeste and Tim said at the same time, in the same tone.

"Can we drop this?" Tony asked, pleadingly.

Leah, Celeste and Tim all agreed that they would. For the rest of the evening the laughed and joked and planned their couples' weekend in New York, City.

* * *

Tony looked up from reading his _Sports Illustrated _magazine when Leah emerged from the bathroom. His brow furrowed. "You don't think I'm making a mistake by meeting her tomorrow night, do you?"

Leah slipped her jewelry off and put it away in her jewelry box. She frowned at him. "You're a grown man, Tony. I can't tell you who to be friends with. Besides... it's better to do it now rather than later when things could really get out of control."

"Meaning what, exactly?" Tony asked.

"If you don't tell her that you don't share those feelings, then she could very well show up on our wedding day and not hold her peace," Leah said, getting underneath the covers.

Tony closed his magazine, placed it on the nightstand, and then slid down underneath the covers. He rolled over to face her, reaching out with one hand to brush her hair back and off her shoulders. "I doubt she would get by the security that your mother is setting up."

Leah rolled her eyes than giggled. "My mother is so concerned that something is going to go wrong... she might go as far as hiring the NSA... or the Secret Service."

He laughed, easily, and then pulled her closer to him for a kiss, wrapping his arms around her tightly as he did so. Tony felt her sigh against his lips and her body molded against his. Burying his hands in her hair he deepened the kiss, wanting to spend the rest of the night making love to her.

* * *

On Friday night, Tony changed out of his suit into something more casual. He didn't want to give Ziva an impression that this was any kind of date. They were just two friends meeting for a drink. He made it a point to wear Leah's favorite shirt on him—a cornflower blue, button down.

Tony stepped into the restaurant that Ziva had chosen. She was sitting at the bar, wearing a short cocktail dress that perhaps revealed too much skin for this being a meeting between "friends". If she was trying to prove a point, Tony rendered it mute—he already knew she was attractive. What he shared with Leah went beyond simple physical attraction. Although, his fiancée would probably look smoking hot in that dress...

Ziva smiled at him when she saw him, and pushed her long dark off her shoulder, revealing her collarbone and a peek at the top of her chest. He noticed a few men sitting near by her turn their heads, but she wasn't paying attention to them. Her eyes were solely on him.

_Maybe Tim was right... maybe this was a bad idea, _Tony thought as he sat down. "Sorry I'm late... had to change. Felt a little too dressed up for the occasion... guess I was wrong," he said, with a smile.

"Well, who knows where the evening will take us—I wanted to be dressed for the occasion," Ziva answered with a sultry smile.

"Yeah, about that..." Tony started but was interrupted when the bartender came over to take his drink order. He decided on a light beer. No sense in tempting fate by pounding hard alcohol. When the bartender walked away he noticed that Ziva had one empty glass in front of her and was working on her second Mojito. That was not going to make things easier. "Listen, Ziva. I think we need to talk."

Ziva took a sip of her drink. "Yes! We need to decide where to have dinner! Do you want to stay here or go someplace else?"

Tony wished he had a back-up plan like Celeste had suggested. If he sent Leah a text that simply read _S.O.S _he wondered if she would understand. "I'm meeting Leah for dinner at 8. We have reservations."

"Reservations can be cancelled," Ziva said, chewing on her straw. She smiled at him. "You would not rather be out with me? I think we would have a lot of fun."

"I'm engaged," Tony told her firmly. His beer was placed down in front of him. He took a large sip to steady himself. "What was the purpose of this meeting Ziva? Did you think I was going to leave Leah for you?"

Ziva frowned at him. "We danced around our feelings for so long. You are no longer working at NCIS. There is no Rule 12."

Tony arched his eyebrows. "But there is another woman—Leah."

"Do you honestly believe _she _is better for you?" Ziva asked, moving her legs slightly so her skirt rode up. "You started that relationship on a lie. She thought you were someone else. Do you want to spend your whole life pretending..."

"Maybe we should have this conversation when you don't already have a Mojito and a half in you," Tony said, rising up off the stool. He found his wallet and tossed some money on the bar. "Do you want me to call you a cab?"

Ziva stood with him, placing herself dangerously close to him, "Have you never thought about what it would be like between us?"

Tony licked his lips. "I did but that was a long time ago. We're both different now."

"I do not think you will be happy with her."

"Ziva, we both know that this is the alcohol talking."

"So what if it is! Especially if it is the truth?"

Tony took a deep breath. If she had done this two years ago—no doubt he knew what his answer would have been—it would have been a big _hell yes. _But this wasn't two years ago. And things were different now. "Ziva. I don't have feelings for you. And I think if you really think about it you don't have feelings for me. Being sexually attracted to someone doesn't mean you love them. You don't love me, Ziva."

Ziva set her jaw. Fine if he wanted to be that way, if he wanted to throw away the good thing they could have had—fine, that was his choice. She would be the first one in line to tell him _I told you so, _when his marriage fell apart. She grabbed her wallet off of the bar and stormed out, without even paying for her drinks.

He pursed his lips and sat back down. Tony gestured for the bartender, paid for Ziva's drinks, and then ordered a Scotch on the rocks. He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and simply sent a text to Leah, _My "date" ditched me, care to meet for an early dinner?_


	51. Right For Him

**Warnings:** No spoilers.

**A/N:** Happy Friday! Another filler chapter, hope you enjoy!

* * *

Leah had gotten the text message just after she left yoga class. Not having a lot of time to get ready, she quickly showered, did her hair and make-up and met Tony downtown at the Adams House.

He was sitting at the bar, dressed in her favorite shirt on him and a pair of jeans, chatting with the bartender. Tony's meeting with Ziva might not have gone so well, but he wasn't showing any ill effects. Leah smoothed her hands over her red dress and made her way towards the bar.

Tony smiled at her when she sat down and slid a glass of white wine towards her. "For my lady in red," he said, cheekily. "I was fantasizing about you in a little black dress earlier, but I think I'm liking the red on you much better."

"Next time I can wear black," Leah replied, grinning as she took a sip of her wine. "Or I have this red and black dress..."

"Stop talking for a second," Tony interjected, leaning over and kissing her, heatedly.

Leah pulled away, slightly surprised. "What was that for? Not that I'm complaining..."

Tony ran his hand up her thigh and rested it on her hip. "For just being you... bet our table is ready." He went to hand the bartender more money, but the man stopped him.

"Drinks are on me," the bartender told him. "You've paid for a enough alcohol tonight."

"What? How many drinks have you had?" Leah asked, slightly concerned.

The bartender grinned and wiped the bar down. "He's only had half a light beer and the one Scotch on the rocks. Just made him his second Scotch when you walked in. He was paying for his... ah... other date earlier. She stormed out. Three Mojitos will do that to ya."

Tony looked surprised. He was certain that Ziva had only had two. "Three?" he repeated. "I thought she only had the two?"

"Nope. Had two before you even arrived, sir," the bartender said.

"So why did you only charge me for the two?" Tony asked.

"Felt bad, sir. I thought you'd been dumped."

Tony chuckled and thanked him. He turned, leading Leah through the bar, his hand on the small of her back. While he'd been waiting for their table to be ready, Tony had sat at the bar and chatted with the friendly bartender. He'd told the story of being engaged to the love of his life but his former co-worker—the woman he'd met that night at the bar—wasn't too thrilled about it. The bartender said that women who clung too tightly were not good for your health.

Leah was turning the heads of the same men that had been drooling over Ziva just ninety minutes ago. Tony had to chuckle at this, but all that laughter left him when they approached the dinning room and Ziva was re-entering the bar—Abby behind her.

"Oh my gosh, Tony!" Abby cried, throwing her arms around him. "I wasn't expecting to see you!"

"You ditch me and go ask Abby to fill in?" Tony threw at Ziva.

Ziva chewed on her lower lip. "We are going clubbing. I remembered I forgot to pay the bartender."

Tony shoved his hands in his pockets. "Already covered."

Abby smiled at him. "You always have to play the gentleman."

_Well, not that much of a gentleman. I didn't walk her to a cab and made sure she went home, _Tony thought. He probably should have. Abby would have Ziva out for hours and who knew how drunk she could be after already having three drinks at the bar. "I try to be," he simply stated. He glanced at Leah briefly. "We have a table waiting for us. We'll let you girls get back to your night out."

"Wait a minute," Leah said. "Maybe they'd like to join us."

Tony shot her a funny look. _What are you doing to me here, Leah? _Was she out of her mind? Inviting the woman, which had just stalked out of the bar over an hour ago because he had told there was nothing going on between them, was probably a bad, bad idea.

Fortunately for Tony, Abby thought it was a bad idea too, and politely declined. "We're already running late to meet up with some of my friends."

"Please, Abby, she really doesn't want us there," Ziva snapped. "It was simply a courtesy. The rich extend invitations to people they do not like all the time so they can maintain their image. Come on, Abby. We will leave Tony with his _date._"

"Fiancée," Leah corrected her in a neutral tone. "I'm his fiancée, not his date."

Ziva glared at her over her bare shoulder. "What is the difference?"

Leah maintained her neutral tone and facial expression. "A date is someone that you do not know very well yet, a fiancée is the person you are going to marry."

"So... you are not out on a date?" Ziva asked, clearly confused by the English language.

"We're out for dinner," Leah replied.

"English idioms sometimes confuses her," Tony supplied. "We are on a date... but people wouldn't call Leah my date, more likely they would call her my fiancée."

Ziva shook her head to clear her thoughts. His explanation did not really help but that might because she was still buzzed from the drinks earlier. Abby had pumped her with some coffee when she had showed up rambling about Tony at the apartment door. "Fine. Enjoy your _date _with your _fiancée._" Flipping her hair aside, Ziva let go of Abby's hand and pushed her way out of the restaurant.

Abby looked at Leah and Tony sheepishly. "Sorry. I thought I had sobered her up enough before we came here. Maybe I'll take her back to my place for cheeseburgers, fries, and a movie."

Tony pulled his wallet out and handed her some money. "Before you object—I put her in this mess, so take the money. If I hadn't been a dumbass in the first place then she would not have had so much to drink in such a short period of time and showed up at your door, ruining your Friday night."

"Not really ruined," Abby said with a shrug. "I wasn't planning on going out tonight until Ziva showed up and said she needed a night out."

"Either way," Tony said, "I've left you with the problem."

Abby hugged him tightly again, saying good-bye and then she headed out of the restaurant after Ziva.

Tony sighed. "I'm going to have to call her in the morning."

Leah kissed his cheek and reached down to find his hand. She grasped it, tightly. "Sweetie, don't let it get to you and ruin our evening. Now, come on, I'm hungry."

* * *

Ziva woke up on Abby's sofa the next morning with a splitting headache. She smelled a fresh pot of coffee brewing and groaned. "Abby?"

Abby appeared in her living room still in her pajamas. "Made some coffee, it's Gibbs favorite brew so it's strong—perfect for a hangover. I wasn't sure what you wanted for breakfast but I can whip up my aunt's baked French toast casserole..."

"You do not need to make me breakfast," Ziva said, sitting up and rubbing her temple. "I do not think I could eat anything. How much... how much did I drink last night?"

"Including the three Mojitos at the Adams House?" Abby asked, nervously. Ziva nodded. "Four... five ... I really wasn't counting."

Ziva didn't remember much from the club. She recalled meeting up with Abby's friends for a quick dinner, where she was sure she had at least one more drink. The clubbing part of the evening was the fuzziest, and with four drinks in her already, well... she could understand. What had possessed her to drink that much? _Tony. _Her nerves before meeting him had led her to even _start _drinking. "I am sorry, Abby. I did not mean for you to baby-sit me all night."

Abby shook her head. Brett and Tim had suspected that Ziva's meeting with Tony was not going to go well, thus, Abby had suspected that Ziva would end up at her apartment at some point. Sure enough Ziva had knocked on her door looking for a fun night out to forget how embarrassed she had been at the bar. "It wasn't a big deal."

"I feel like such an idiot, Abby," Ziva lamented, burying her face in her hands. "I had everything planned out in my head. We were supposed to have a drink and dinner... and then... _she _showed up."

"She?"

"Leah."

"Ah... what exactly do you remember?"

Ziva looked at Abby, questionably. "I remember that we were going to have dinner and Leah showed up. Tony took her to dinner instead."

Abby sighed and went into the kitchen to poor Ziva a mug of coffee. When she returned, she said, "You left Tony at the bar, after he told you that he didn't have feelings for you anymore. I'm guessing that he was the one that invited Leah down. You forgot to the pay the bartender. We went back to pay and they were going to their table. You don't remember any of that?"

She shook her head. Ziva could feel a sense of dread forming in her body. The scene in the front lobby of the restaurant was blurry. She could see Leah standing there, next to Tony in a red dress... Leah had extended an invitation to them for dinner... she had pretty rudely turned the invitation down... "Abby, what kind of woman am I, that I try to proposition a man that is engaged to another woman?"

Letting the thought sink in for a moment, Abby shrugged her shoulders. "Sometimes it's hard for us to let go. You know, I didn't like the fact that McGee had started to date Celeste. It wasn't because I was still in love with him, I was more upset that he found someone that made him happy and moved on. Once I met her and got to know her, I found out that I really liked her and she's perfect for Tim. Besides, all the hissy fits in the world were not going to change Tim's mind."

"I don't feel that way, Abby. I do not feel that she is perfect for Tony," Ziva said, honestly. "He met her on an undercover mission! Introduced himself as his alias! Lied to her for months before he told her the truth!"

"And if she still said _yes _doesn't that mean something?" Abby inquired. "I know what's happening here! You're just bumming about being single! We're going to find you a date and you'll forget all about Tony!"

Ziva didn't feel like finding a date. She didn't think that finding a date was going to solve her problems. Tony ending his engagement would solve her problems—but that was probably never going to happen. Flopping back against the cushions of the pillow she sighed. "You were right, I suck with emotions. I should have told Tony how I felt."

Abby sighed, too. "You're trying, Ziva, with the whole feelings and emotions thing and talking about them. You've finally found a comfortable, safe place to do so. There's someone out there for you... someone better than Tony! You'll see, okay?"

"Okay," Ziva said with a half-hearted smile, even if she only said it to end the conversation and move on with the day.

* * *

Copper's ears perked up and he growled alerting Leah that someone was at the door—and someone that he did not recognize the scent.

Leah put a bookmark in her book, closed it and put it on the coffee table. She patted Copper behind the ears as she went to answer the door. Copper got up and diligently followed her behind her. As she unlatched the locks, Copper barked. Leah grabbed a hold of his collar before opening the door so he wouldn't pounce on whoever was behind it. She was expecting to see a deliveryman or neighbor—not Ziva. "Officer David? What are you doing here?"

Ziva nervously licked her lips. "I came to...apologize... for my behavior... Friday night. I was... rude."

"My dad would have called you a mean drunk," Leah said with a shrug.

"I do not normally get that drunk," Ziva replied, defensively.

Leah wasn't sure what her purpose was for showing up at their apartment. Was she hoping that Tony was the one that answered the door? "You should be apologizing to Tony, not to me. You basically told him that he was being stupid for asking me to marry him, that he isn't smart enough to make his own decisions. Friends might not always like decision that other friends make, but they don't insult each other when questioning the decision."

Ziva knew that she deserved that. She actually probably deserved a lot more from Leah. She knew that if the situation were reversed, if it had been Leah that had flirted and thrown herself at her fiancée, she would have had the woman on the ground in a headlock. "You are right. I should be apologizing to Tony. Is he here?"

"He went to get something for dinner. I can tell him you stopped by," Leah said turning to go back into the apartment.

"Wait!" Ziva exclaimed, stopping her from closing the door. Copper snarled and barked. Ziva stepped back away from the dog. "Is it okay if I come in?"

"I don't know—Copper isn't fond of strangers," Leah replied, truthfully.

She tried to hold her hand out for Copper to sniff but he growled, signaling that he wasn't interested. Ziva was a bit shocked because normally dogs did not mind her. Perhaps the dog was smarter than he was letting on and knew that she had attempted to steal his owner's man away—because clearly the dog was Leah's. "Will you tell Tony I stopped by?"

Leah nodded her head and promised that she would. Copper snarled and barked again. "He's getting agitated—sorry. I need to close the door. I'll let Tony know you stopped by when he gets home."

Copper continued to bark until Leah had closed the door all the way and latched the locks again. She let go of his collar and went to go back to her book. Copper chose to lay down in front of the door. He was still laying there when Tony came home twenty minutes later.

Tony glanced down at the dog. "What's he doing?"

"Guarding me," Leah said with a smile.

"From..."

"Ziva stopped by."

"Oh. Why?"

"She wanted to apologize."

He put his keys down onto the end table in the entryway. This surprised Tony—Ziva very rarely apologized. He went to put the take- out containers on the kitchen counter, when he turned and went back into the living room, he asked, "Are you okay?"

She looked up from her book and smiled. "Yes. Copper was here—nothing was going to happen to me."

Tony looked at the dog, who looked back at him with big eyes. It was hard to believe that this tame pup would attack anyone. He sat down on the sofa with his fiancée and kissed her cheek. "Ready to eat? I got Thai food from your favorite place."

Leah closed her book and returned the tender kiss to the cheek. "You're too good to me, you know that?"

"Part of my job is to take care of you," he said with a smile. "Least I can do for you since you had to put up with my former co-workers the last few days."

"It's fine. It had to be done," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a quick kiss. "Besides... I think she understands now."

He sighed and kissed her, this one lasting a little bit longer. "Food is getting cold, bella."

She smiled and slid his jacket off his shoulders. "That's what a microwave is for."

"Oh, well, in that case," Tony said grinning as he scooped her up. "Dinner can wait," he stated and carried her into the bedroom.


	52. Trial and Error

**Warnings:** Spoilers for Season 4, earlier chapters of this story...

**A/N:** Here is some more for your Sunday afternoon reading pleasure! Enjoy!

**E-** _Yes I think Ziva is finally getting the message that Tony and Leah are for real, but it probably won't be easy._

* * *

Jennifer Shepard had lost weight, her face slightly gaunt, skin pale. Her hair was all but gone and she covered the hair loss up with a wig similar in her former hairstyle and color. She wore a sharp pants suit and sat straight at the table.

Tony had not laid eyes on the former NCIS director since the day she had been led out of headquarters on charges. He took the stand in her Grand Jury hearing dressed in a gray Calvin Klein suit, black silk tie and mint green dress shirt that Leah told him brought out the color of his eyes. After he was sworn in, Tony straightened his suit and sat down. He had already gone over his testimony with Samuel Clark the day before, but he'd been in dozens of courtrooms before—he was more concerned for Leah taking the stand later that day...

"Mister DiNozzo... would you please state your name and occupation for the court," Clark began as he stood up.

"Anthony DiNozzo, senior FBI Agent," Tony replied, calmly.

"How long have you worked for the FBI, Special Agent DiNozzo?" Clark questioned.

"Almost seven months," Tony answered.

Clark buttoned the top button on his suit coat. "And previously, before that, you worked for Ms. Shepard at NCIS?"

Tony nodded. "Yes, I was the senior field agent on the Major Case Response Team."

"In the spring of last year, you were given that team with Agent Gibbs resignation, correct?"

"Correct."

"During that time did Ms. Shepard order you to seduce Jeanne Benoit to get closer to her father, Rene Benoit?"

"She did."

Clark glanced at the jury briefly. "In your own words, Agent DiNozzo, can you tell the jury what happened."

Tony set his jaw. "Ms. Shepard sent me to Paris that spring to track down Ms. Benoit. It turned out that Ms. Benoit was not in Paris at the time. I learned that Ms. Benoit was in a relationship with another man, engaged, and informed Ms. Shepard that seducing Ms. Benoit was not going to be the best approach."

"Were you uncomfortable with the thought of seducing a woman to gain information?" Clark asked, honestly.

"Somewhat," Tony answered just as honestly. "Commitment and women were not necessarily my forte back then."

"In Paris you met another woman, Leah Dawson," Clark stated, "Her father was Mr. Benoit's lawyer, was he not?"

"Yes. She was staying in the Benoit's home for the summer," Tony replied.

Clark stepped closer towards the stand. He knew that this was difficult for both Tony and Leah to talk about, a part of their relationship that didn't make sense to a lot of people, that their love had survived all the lies. "You mistakenly believed that Ms. Dawson was Ms. Benoit, did you not?"

Tony swallowed and nodded his head. "Yes. Quickly released my mistake. Ms. Dawson was the one to inform me that Ms. Benoit was in a relationship."

"Is it true that you suggested to Ms. Shepard that you continue to date Ms. Dawson to get information on Mr. Benoit?"

"Yes. I did suggest it."

"And Ms. Dawson didn't know you were a federal agent at this point?"

"No, she thought I was a professor at American University."

Clark looked at his opponent, Jenny's lawyer. "When did you inform Ms. Dawson that you were a federal agent?"

Tony took a deep breath, "Last fall, she was starting to get suspicious when I had to disappear in the middle of the night or vanish on weekends."

"And Ms. Shepard, was she happy about you revealing the truth?"

"No. She was not."

Clark went back to his table and found the hospital report for when Benoit's men had beaten up Tony. He held the report up to show the jury and the clerk, "This is a hospital report from the evening of December 11th, 2006. You were attacked and assaulted by two men outside of a movie theatre, men that worked for Mr. Benoit. This was to send you a message was it not?"

Tony clenched is fists against his thighs. "Yes. Ms. Shepard had me place a bug in Mr. Benoit's limo to track him. He found the bug and sent his men after me. They dragged me into an alley and beat me up."

"How did Mr. Benoit know it was you that put the bug there?"

"The CIA had informed him that I was investigating him."

"And Mr. Benoit was an informant for the CIA, correct?"

"Correct."

"Special Agent DiNozzo was Ms. Dawson with you that night?"

"Yes."

"Was Ms. Shepard aware that Ms. Dawson's life was in danger?"

Tony glared at Jenny across the courtroom. She looked away, quickly. "Yes, Ms. Shepard was aware. I told her that the CIA had made me, that Mr. Benoit was threatening Ms. Dawson and me. She didn't seem to care. She was only concerned about getting the Frog."

Jenny's lawyer looked incredulously at the judge, who waved her off. "Special Agent DiNozzo," the Judge warned him, "Please just answer the questions and try to refrain from any commentary."

Clark sighed and delved into his next line of questioning. "Will you please tell the court what happened on night of December 22nd?"

"I was approached by the CIA's operative on the inside and two of Benoit's men," Tony replied. "They searched me for weapons and a wire tap."

"You had a bit of an altercation with these men, did you not?"

"The CiA operative struck Ms. Dawson. I retaliated."

"Several weeks later, Ms. Dawson went to speak with Ms. Shepard. She was worried about your safety. Did Ms. Shepard show that same concern?"

"Ms. Shepard was angry that I had told Ms. Dawson the truth about who I was and what I did. She wanted me to end the relationship so we could continue to pursue Mr. Benoit."

Clark pursed his lips. "Did Ms. Shepard's behavior concern you Special Agent DiNozzo?"

Tony nodded. "Yes."

"You resigned from NCIS shortly after Ms. Dawson's visit. Why?"

"Ms. Shepard ordered an undercover operation up in Canada involving Mr. Benoit. I knew when he found out that he'd becoming after Ms. Dawson and I."

"You left your weapon and badge on Ms. Shepard's desk."

"Correct."

"And you fled to Italy? After your car exploded with two of Mr. Benoit's associates in it..."

"Yes."

Clark submitted the photographs of Tony's burned out Mustang. "These are photographs of Special Agent DiNozzo's car after the explosion. I was told that the CIA had orders to dispose of Special Agent DiNozzo at any cost. The cost was almost his life and that of Ms. Dawson. They would have been in the car if it were not for Mr. Benoit insisting on them getting into his limo. Special Agent DiNozzo, Mr. Benoit let you and Ms. Dawson go, if you promised that you would cease the investigation of him and perhaps disappear from Washington, is that right?"

Tony felt all the tension and stress from those days come flooding back, seeing the pictures of what had been left of his car. "Yes. Mr. Benoit let us go on good faith, he seemed rattled that the car had exploded, wondering if it was even an attempt at his own life."

"So, in other words, Agent DiNozzo, you had no reason to kill him?"

"No. I did not."

"Thank you, Special Agent DiNozzo, for your time," Clark said with a smile. He turned to his opponent and gestured, "He's your witness."

Riley Wells stood up. She was tall, slender, had high cheekbones and wore wire rimmed glasses low on the bridge of her nose. Her black pant suit made her look even taller as she approached Tony. "It was your NCIS registered weapon that killed Mr. Benoit, was it not?"

Tony nodded his head. "Yes. The bullet that was recovered from Mr. Benoit's body was from my weapon."

"Yet, you're claiming that you didn't kill him. Didn't the FBI arrest you for his murder?"

"They did."

"You spent a night in a holding cell. You were their first suspect."

"Is there a question you want me to answer?" Tony threw at her, hotly.

"Yes, did you kill Mr. Benoit?" Wells inquired.

Clark looked pissed as he stood up and directed his complaint towards the Judge. "Your honor, tell her to save this for a trial. This hearing is just to determine if this case is even going to trial."

Wells back off. "You're right, Mr. Clark. I'll hold those questions _if _we go to trial. Now, Special Agent DiNozzo, you say you had your concerns about Ms. Shepard, why didn't you bring them up to Secretary Davenport yourself? Why did you leave that job for Agent Gibbs?"

Tony glared at her. "I was worried about my job with NCIS. And to be honest, I never thought Ms. Shepard would let things get so out of control that I had to resign and flee the country."

"I'm glad you brought that up," Wells said. "You wasted a lot of resources when NCIS was investigating your death and then trying to find you..."

"Your honor!"

"Ms. Wells, please, get back on track."

"Was it of your opinion, Agent DiNozzo, that Ms. Shepard was not thinking clearly throughout the entire operation?"

"No... I do not think she was."

Wells smiled at him, sweetly. "Thank you, Agent DiNozzo."

Tony sighed as the Judge released him. He needed a cup of coffee and a hug from Leah. Thankfully she was standing outside the courtroom with a cup of Joe and was willing to give him a hug.

Leah pulled back, looking anxious. "I'm scared."

"You'll do fine," he promised her with kiss on her cheek.

"But what if I say the wrong thing and the Grand Jury decides not to send this to trial?" Leah asked, her eyes welling with tears.

"It's going to be fine."

"You'll be there, right?"

Tony would have promised he was going to be there but his phone buzzed in his pocket. Checking it out of habit, he noticed that Greg had sent him a text—_Fornell is about to go postal on Agent Gibbs. We need you back ASAP. _"Hold that thought... I might need to go back to Hoover Building to stop war breaking out between Gibbs and Fornell."

Leah looked at him angrily. "Anthony, the hell with them! They're grown men! _They _can figure it out! I need you! And I would like to think that I'm a little bit more important than a couple of grumpy old men!"

_Greg, _he quietly typed, _I'm going to have to get back to you. Dealing with a nuclear meltdown myself over at the courthouse. _Tony flipped his phone shut and placed it back into his pocket. He kissed her cheek again, "Okay, okay, I'll stay with you."

"Miss Dawson," the court bailiff said as he opened the door. "They're ready for you now."

"You're going to do fine, sweetheart," Tony assured her as he gave her hand a squeeze before returning to the courtroom to be there to support her.

* * *

Leah nervously watched as Clark rose from the table and headed towards her. She had been sworn in and prayed that this was not going to take too long. Even though her father was a lawyer, she had never actually spent a lot of time in a courtroom and she had never been on the stand before.

Clark could see how anxious was and broke the tension with a soft smile. "Good morning, Miss Dawson. Thank you for coming down. This shouldn't take too long, I only have a few questions for you." When she nodded her head, he continued, "You me Special Agent DiNozzo in Paris?"

"Yes, at a flower cart," Leah replied. "He bought me lilies."

"Did you know at the time that he was a United States Federal Agent?" Clark questioned.

"No. He told me that he was a professor at American University," Leah answered.

"He used an alias, correct?"

"Yes. Tony DiNardo."

Clark glanced briefly at Jenny. "Were you aware at the time that Agent DiNozzo's alias was created by Ms. Shepard for an undercover operation to catch Rene Benoit?"

Leah shook her head and swallowed, nervously. "No. I was not aware."

"When did you first become aware?"

"Shortly after I returned to Washington last fall. Agent DiNozzo told me the truth that he was a federal agent."

Clark paused for a moment, to give Leah a bit a breather. He knew that this was not easy for her, not second nature like it was for Tony—he knew that he could beat her over the head with all of these questions. "Miss Dawson, did you at any point, feel like your life was in danger because of Jenny Shepard's refusal to pull Agent DiNozzo out of the Op?"

Leah nodded her head and sheepishly answered, "Yes."

"You spoke to her yourself... do you think she knew what she was doing?"

"I think she knew what she wanted and didn't care who got hurt."

Clark smiled at her and thanked her, turning the witness over to Jenny's lawyer. Wells studied the young woman for a long moment before she stood and approached the stand, her shoe heels the only sound in the court room. "Miss Dawson," Wells started, "Your father was Mr. Benoit's lawyer..."

Leah looked at Tony nervously before replying. "Yes. He was."

"They were close friends?"

"Yes."

"So, it's safe to assume that, Mr. Benoit would not have hurt you," Wells replied.

Leah glared at her. "He forced Agent DiNozzo and I into his limo and told us that if we didn't disappear, that our lives would probably be over. Yes, I know he let us go because of my father... the first time... fortunately for us he never caught up to us a second time."

Wells took her outburst of anger and went with it. "So, really, Miss Dawson, we could be looking into you for murdering Mr. Benoit."

Clark snapped, loudly, his voice echoing off the walls, "Your honor!"

"No more questions," Wells said, smirking at Leah as she went back to her seat.

Leah was dismissed from the stand and as she passed Jenny, she saw he woman look at her, thoughtfully, but not with any remorse. She still thought what she had done was the right thing to do... Tony had been wise to leave NCIS or he might have ended up dead.

* * *

Tony looked up from his laptop and work to notice that the apartment was quiet. Getting up from the dining table, he peeked into the living room and saw that both Leah and Copper were fast asleep on the sofa after their jog.

He chuckled to himself and went to put a blanket around his fiancée, gently kissing her temple. It had been a rough day for her, having to take the stand and relive the uncertain months when Tony didn't know if Benoit was going to let him live or kill him. He was proud of her, she handled it like a professional, even if he knew that she was terrified of saying the wrong thing.

Rubbing Copper behind the ears, Tony headed back towards the table to finish his work. His cell rang and he fished it out of his pocket, noticing that it was Gibbs. "Hey, I see Tobias didn't kill you."

"_Stop cracking jokes, DiNozzo," _Gibbs snapped. "_We have a problem. I just got off the phone with Jenny's lawyer. She's gone, Tony. Busted the ankle monitor and fled." _


	53. Judgment Day

**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Judgment Day"

**A/N:** Hello everyone! Happy Tuesday! Enjoy!

* * *

Leah snuggled Copper close to her, watching as Tony packed a bag. She noticed that he slide a knife into his pocket. He already had his SIG and his back-up gun... why they heck did he need a knife too? "Tony... do you always carry a knife?"

Tony looked at her and smiled, softly. "Rule nine—never go anywhere without a knife. It's saved my ass a few times, bella." He zipped his bag up and went to pet Copper behind the ears. "Take care of her boy, okay? Keep her safe for me."

Copper yapped and licked Tony's hand. Tony ruffled the dog's ears and then leaned over, pressing his lips to Leah's in a heated kiss. Pulling back he wiped the tears from her eyes. "FBI has tracked her to California. She's far from here... she's isn't coming after you. It should only take Tobias, Gibbs, and myself a few days to find her, arrest her, and bring her back to Washington."

"Why do you think she's running?" Leah asked. "And I'm not scared she's coming after me... I have Copper to protect me. I'm worried about her hurting you."

"Don't know why she's running," Tony answered, "and don't worry about me. I have my SIG to protect me."

Leah forced a smile on her face, trying to cover up the fact that she was extremely worried about him leaving. She didn't like the idea of Tony going with Tobias and Gibbs to track down Jenny. She'd much rather the three of them leave this for someone else to do... "You'll call me once you get to Los Angles?"

Tony stroked her cheek with his thumb and kissed her one more time. "Promise. I'll call you once I get to Los Angles."

* * *

Sitting in traffic, on a California freeway in the front seat of red Ford Mustang was not the worst thing in the world, Tony decided. No, the worst thing was sitting in the traffic, on a California freeway with Gibbs and Fornell.

The trio of federal agents had managed to track Jenny Shepard to William Decker's funeral, and then to Decker's girlfriend's house... and finally caught up with the girlfriend herself on a beach south of L.A. She had been drinking heavily, apparently, and taken a header off the boardwalk. Gibbs didn't believe for one second that she had died accidently and both Tony and Fornell were trying to use their pull with the FBI to get access to the investigation but the LAPD wasn't budging. They were ruling it an accidental death and case closed...

Gibbs was getting agitated behind the wheel. Tony was wishing that he had offered to drive. Since Decker's name had been mentioned Gibbs had been traveling down memory lane. Apparently Decker had worked some dangerous undercover operation with Gibbs and Jenny back in the day and that the retired agent had some diner out in the middle of the desert—his insurance policy Gibbs had said.

Now, the three agents were certain that Jenny was headed out there, on some kind of quest to finish something that probably had been started years and years ago by Decker and Gibbs, and possibly Jenny herself.

Two hours of sitting in traffic later and Gibbs had the Mustang flying along the highway out to the Mojave Desert. Tony was glad he had worn a lightweight button down shirt with his jeans, he would have been sweating like crazy underneath the hot sun. And with the dust kicking up in his face... he was going to need three showers back at the hotel room when they did finally catch up with Jenny, cuff her, and bring her back to L.A.

"You're running on _E, _Jethro," Tobias snapped from the back. "We're still thirty miles from that damn diner!"

"I got another fifteen before I need to stop, Tobias!" Gibbs shouted back, pressing even harder down on the gas pedal.

Tony gripped his door handle for dear life, his knuckles turning white. "Gibbs!" he shouted as the speedy car flew along the pavement. "I'm getting married in two months! I really don't think my fiancée is going to appreciate it if you end up getting my guts plastered all over Route 66!"

Gibbs glared at him as the wind whipped his hair back. For a second Tony felt like making some kind of joke about how tough he looked with the wind in his hair... but he held back when he saw the icy blue glare at him. "DiNozzo! I know what I'm doing! Do you want her getting away again?"

"No! I just want to be all in one piece when we do catch up with her!"

"You'll be in one piece! Trust me, DiNozzo!"

"Boss, I do trust you! But I know your driving record..."

The Mustang's engine revved as Gibbs pushed it even harder. Tony didn't want to look to see how fast they were going... he'd estimate at least a hundred... and fifteen terrifying miles later, Gibbs was pulling into a run down, old, in the middle of nowhere gas station. Tony felt like falling out of the car and kissing the ground but he knew that he had to survive another fifteen miles before that could happen. Tobias threw him some money and told him to go inside to get some snacks and Gatorade.

He passed a guy on a motorcycle and watched as a large black Suburban pulled out of the station. Tony stepped inside and found the snacks and Gatorade—and grabbed a map, just incase the two stubborn old Feds he was with got lost and they needed one.

Climbing back into the passenger seat, Tony buckled his seat belt and found the door handle, gripping it for dear life just before the Mustang peeled out of the gas station. _Dear Lord, if we don't become road kill it will be a miracle. _

All thoughts of becoming road kill quickly faded when Gibbs pulled the Mustang up to the diner and that same, large black Suburban was sitting out front.

"Jethro," Fornell said from the backseat. "That truck was at the gas station."

"Be on the lookout," Gibbs said, throwing the car into park. He grabbed his weapon and got out.

Tony didn't want to make a movie reference at this point, not a loud at least—but he couldn't get the image of C-3PO out of his head, crying in a metallic voice panic, _I have a bad feeling about this! _ His gut was tight even before he saw the bullet holes in the door and windows of the abandoned diner.

Gibbs entered first. There were two dead gunmen near him, blood everywhere. He wasn't going to guess what had happened here. If Jenny had been here, she was a good shot, he'd seen her in action before. "Tony..."

He slipped past Gibbs and into the diner, sweeping his weapon while his eyes swept the room. Tony saw more blood, more bullet holes—and two more shooters. "Two more shooters, Gibbs. Both dead." He didn't need to go check their pulses... and they had clean, clear shots through the front of their skulls. There was no rise and fall of their chests and the amount of blood... his eyes caught her reflection in the pool of blood on the floor. Swallowing he holstered his weapon. "Gibbs, Fornell... it's Jenny."

Jenny was surrounded by blood, her weapon still in her hand. Her face was turned towards them and there was an almost serene look on it. She had known she was going to die out here... she had accepted her fate...

Tony felt for a pulse even though he knew there wasn't going to be one. Standing up he looked at Gibbs sorrowfully. Despite what had happened with the Frog, with Jenny pushing the former NCIS agent from the agency, he knew that Gibbs still cared for her. "I'm sorry..."

"DiNozzo." Gibbs snapped, cutting him off. "She knew what she was getting into. There was no other way for it to end."

"So," Fornell said, looking around at the mess, "what do we do now?"

"We start finding out _how _this entire thing happened," Gibbs snapped, putting his gun back in it's holster.

Fornell looked at Tony, saw the worry in the younger man's eyes. "And how do you suggest we do that?"

Gibbs glanced at Jenny's body. "Are you familiar with Decker, Tony?"

"Only the things you told me, Gibbs."

"Call McGee. Ask him to email you Decker's file—ASAP."

Tony watched as Gibbs stormed out of the diner, leaving the two FBI agents standing there. "What a mess," Tony mumbled, looking around.

Fornell sighed. "She had no other way out, the cancer was either going to kill her, or prison would."

"I guess. But if this had something to do with Decker and Gibbs and those undercover missions... why not call Gibbs?"

"She was protecting him."

"From what?" Tony sighed, just as they heard the Mustang start up and speed off. Rushing to the door, Tony watched as Gibbs drove away, leaving them at the diner. "Great! I know that Gibbs' driving might kill us, but now we have no way back to L.A!"

Fornell looked outside briefly, before his phone went off. It was Gibbs. "Jethro what the hell? You trying to punish us for our wiseass comments about your driving?"

Gibbs didn't joke back. _"I called the local FBI office. They're heading out your way to assist in the investigation." _

"And what are you doing?"

"_Following a hunch." _

* * *

McGee was surprised when he hung up the phone after talking with Tony. "That was odd."

Langer looked up. "What was odd?"

"Tony asked for an old NCIS file, had the number and everything," McGee said typing it into the search parameters. William Decker's name flashed on the screen. "Uh-oh."

"This does not sound good," Ziva said, getting up from her chair. "What is it McGee?"

He frowned and brought the information up on the plasma screen. "Remember that retired agent that Gibbs sent an arrangement of flowers for to Los Angles for his funeral? The one that Ducky ruled a suicide? Turns out... Tony wants his file."

She looked between the two men, worried. "Why would Tony want a file on a dead NCIS agent?" she asked, chewing the inside of her cheek. It had been several weeks since she had seen Tony. He had not been by. If the FBI needed something from them it was usually Fornell or Sacks that showed up. And McGee never mentioned seeing Tony either, except once, after he had taken in the German Shepard that Abby had named Jethro... they had met so their dogs could have what they were calling a doggie play date. "Do you think this has something to do with why Jenny ran?"

McGee shrugged his shoulders and emailed the files to Tony. "Maybe. I think she saw the writing on the wall... her case was going to trial and well, she wouldn't have lasted long in prison..."

Langer let out a puff of air. "Or the cancer would have gotten her first. Either way... she knew her days were limited. There was some unfinished business she needed to take care of, so she fled..."

"You two make it sound like she is dead," Ziva snapped.

"Because she is Officer David," Vance announced, stepping into the bullpen. "I just got off the phone with Agent DiNozzo myself. Jennifer Shepard was shot to death in a shoot out at an abandoned diner in the Mojave Desert. I've assured the FBI that they are going to have NCIS' fullest cooperation with their investigation into this, are we clear?"

Ziva, McGee, and Langer nodded their heads. Vance sighed and nodded back. "Good. Let's get to work. McGee, make sure that Agent DiNozzo has all information pertaining to William Decker, Ziva speak with Jenny's lawyer... Langer... find Gibbs."

McGee stopped what he was working, noticed that Ziva had stopped halfway to her desk when Langer asked, "Gibbs is missing, sir?"

Vance set his jaw. "According to Agent DiNozzo he fled he crime scene like a bat out of hell. Find out why."

Langer sighed. "That isn't going to be easy, sir."

The Director just smiled, slightly at him before walking away. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but he knew that his agents could get the job done.


	54. Off the Grid

**Warnings:** Slight spoilers for "Judgment Day"

**A/N:** Happy Sunday!

**E-** _Wedding isn't happening for a few chapters._

* * *

Tony leaned over a laptop he'd borrowed from the FBI team that had come out to assist them, and looked at the files that McGee had emailed him. The operation that Decker had worked on with Gibbs and Jenny was an assassination of three Russian operatives in Paris. Decker and Gibbs had taken out their Russian targets, but apparently Jenny did not. Was that target seeking revenge on the NCIS agents for their fallen colleagues?

He couldn't be sure at this point, but Gibbs seemed to know more than he was letting on, which was probably the whole reason that Gibbs had taken off without Tony or Fornell. Since Gibbs had left they'd discovered tracks from another car near the diner, probably Jenny's rental car... there was another shooter they were looking for. FBI was taking the bodies back to L.A, Tony was running facial recognition on all of them, even sent the photographs to McGee to see if he could clean them up for better results. But they still did not have a lot of answers.

"Anything?" Fornell asked, coming to stand next to him.

"Botched assassination," Tony said, glancing at the other FBI agent. "I'm going to need to really sit down and read this file. Lots blacked out."

"Heard from Gibbs?"

"No. Have you?"

"Not a word. Not that I anticipated getting one."

Tony shook his head. "I'm starting to get worried. If this was a hit on Jenny... Decker's already dead... Gibbs is the next target."

Fornell looked in the direction that Gibbs had driven off in. "He figured it out and high tailed it out of here so you wouldn't be caught in the crosshairs."

"Why do you assume that he left to protect me?"

"I'm not the one getting married in two months. Not sure if he ever really _liked _me either."

Tony didn't feel like arguing that Fornell was the only FBI agent that Gibbs had been able to work alongside—until Tony had left NCIS for the FBI. There were just more pressing matters on their hands at the moment. _Like checking in with your fiancée that you have not talked to since arriving in Los Angles. _ Pulling out his cell phone he hit the speed dial for Leah. "Listen I'd love to debate why Gibbs ran off... but I have to check in... with the future wife."

Fornell chuckled. It was clear that Leah had Tony wrapped around her little finger, and it appeared that Tony was fine with that. "Probably best if you start off on the right foot—so you don't end up like Gibbs and I, sharing an ex-wife," he said, as he walked away to join the other agents.

He watched him walk away and patiently waited for Leah to answer. Tony hadn't bother to check the time... she might be in class or out for a jog... finally he heard the tale-tell click that someone was answering the phone.

"_Hi honey, Copper and I were starting to get worried about you," _Leah said, happily when she picked up.

"I'm fine. Just... hot... word to the wise do not wear jeans to the Mojave Desert," Tony told her, smiling.

"_Mojave Desert? Why are you all the way out there?" _Leah questioned.

"Following leads," Tony lied to her. She didn't need the added stress of Jenny's death and a possible hit out on Gibbs and anyone associated with him. "I'm probably going to be here a few more days."

Leah sounded disappointed. "_I miss you." _

Tony sighed and observed the bodies of the shooters and Jenny as they were taken out of the diner in body bags and loaded into a van. "I miss you too, bella, you have no idea how much I miss you." He looked up to see one of the agents approaching him. "Sweetheart, I have to go. I love you." He hung before she could reply and took a deep breath as the agent came closer. "What's wrong?"

The agent glanced over his shoulder for a second before speaking. "A red Ford Mustang was found abandoned at that gas station fifteen miles up the road. The clerk said that a man matching Gibbs' description pulled up, pretended to be filling the tank, when another car pulled up. A man got out, they chatted, and Gibbs left with him. Keys in the ignition and everything."

His gut tingled. "What did the other man look like?"

"Gruff, tall... figured he was more than a pack a day smoker..."

"Damn it, Gibbs."

"Is something wrong sir?" the agent questioned, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

Tony shook his head and sent him on his way. Pulling out his cell phone he dialed McGee. "Probie. I need you to track Mike Franks for me. _NOW._"

* * *

Mike Franks was not at all surprised when the red Ford Mustang blocked his exit from his motel in Los Angles. He watched as DiNozzo got out of the car. "Heard you were with the FBI now, DiNozzo," the former agent said in his gruff voice. "Gibbs is proud of ya, kid. How did you find me?"

DiNozzo didn't look to be in the mood for talking. His green eyes were angry. "McGee. He has access to all the aliases you travel under, he found that one of them made a little trip up to Los Angles right around the time we tracked Jenny here. Fess up, Mike. You were with Jenny at the diner. I bet it was your gun that finished the other shooters off, the ones that had managed to kill Jenny. Gibbs figured it out. Did he tell you to get the hell out of here too?"

"Jenny died protecting him, Tony," Mike said, sadly. "She was dying from that tumor. She knew she had wronged him—wronged you."

"If she had wanted to make it up to me, she shouldn't have fled and gone to jail," DiNozzo snapped.

"Wouldn't have made it until then I'm afraid."

"Where's Gibbs?"

"Finishing what Jenny started," Mike pointed out. He leaned against his rental car. "Promised him I wouldn't tell you where he was going."

Tony clenched his fists at his sides. "He needs back-up, Franks!"

Mike reached into his pocket to pull out his cigarettes and lighter. He lit one up and puffed on it for a second or two before speaking again. "Doesn't want you to get hurt, Tony, told me that you were finally settling down... had a chance to make something more of your life besides a federal agent."

"Bull! He's going on one of his personal crusades! Again!" Tony snapped. "Where did he go?"

"He headed back to D.C," Mike said, frowning. "That's where Svetlana will be waiting for him."

Tony reached back into his memory of the operation in Paris. "She was Jenny's target, the one that Jenny couldn't kill."

Mike nodded. "Decker and Gibbs took their targets down, but Jenny had issues with killing, with how to live with what she had done."

"She got over that real fast," Tony snapped.

"Benoit," Mike stated. "She's lucky no one came after her for that."

_No, they came after me instead, _Tony thought, thinking about Jeanne spending time in jail for attempting to kill him. "Listen, I'd love to stay and chat... but I need to get back to Washington before that Russian kills Gibbs."

Mike clicked his tongue. "Gibbs has hours and hours on you, DiNozzo. You think you'll make it back to D.C in time?"

His fingers twitched, a heated glare came into his eyes and Mike noted how dangerous DiNozzo looked at the moment. "So what if I don't? Isn't that better than sitting around here, in L.A, waiting for something to happen?" The younger man squared his shoulders. "At least I have the decency to not let my former partner take a bullet. Never figured you for a coward, Mike."

"Whoa, hold up there, cowboy," Mike snarled. "Do you think I like the idea of Jethro doing this all on his own? Hell no! But I know better than to get involved!"

"Yeah, that's why you helped Jenny, huh," Tony snapped. "I should arrest you for aiding and abetting a fugitive."

"Didn't know she was on the run from the law. I live on a beach in Mexico!"

"Get out of here, Franks. Better believe if Gibbs dies... I'll becoming down to your little slice of paradise for you."

Mike watched as DiNozzo jumped back into the Mustang and sped off, rather recklessly, and he thought, _don't worry, you'll never have to deal with me again. _

* * *

Roaring thunder shook the apartment and woke Leah up from a nap on the sofa. Quickly she sprinted across the living room and managed to shut the window before the angry skies opened up and rain began to pour down.

Leah turned, looking for Copper. The dog had not left her side—well when she was home anyways—since Tony had gone to Los Angles. She teased the pup that he was really taking Tony's order to take care of her a little too far. But, right now the dog was laying in front of the door, head raised, ears back slightly, listening to the sounds of the storm and probably deciding if it was a threat to his human.

She watched then as the dog's ears pressed flat against his head and he growled, turning about in his spot getting ready to nip at the door. Leah had never seen this kind of reaction out of him and she felt a bit of danger in the air as someone pounded on the door.

Copper barked and paced. Leah wasn't sure she wanted to open the door as she approached it, grabbing a hold of Copper's collar. The dog was a bundle of energy though and she could tell that if he went after who ever was on the other side of the door, she was not going to be able to stop him. Gently she unlatched the locks, opening the door only slightly.

Greg Henderson was looking at her, perplexed. "Leah?"

Leah sighed. "Sorry. Copper its just Greg! You know him!" she exclaimed as she opened the door all the way to reveal Ziva standing there. "Officer David?"

"I see he still does not like me," Ziva replied.

"He's been jumpy since Tony left," Leah said with a shrug. She didn't need to tell Ziva that dogs could sense things about people that people could not. "What's going on?"

"Leah, when was the last time you spoke to Tony?" Greg asked.

"Last night, why?"

"FBI has lost contact with him. Tobias said he—."

Leah gripped the dog's collar and interrupted, "What do you mean the FBI has lost contact with him?"

Greg stepped back slightly, concerned her agitated state would make Copper even more jumpy. "He boarded a flight back to D.C last night, the red eye, but no one has been able to get in touch with him and his car is gone from the Dulles parking garage."

Ziva ran her tongue over her lips. "We think that he is going to find Gibbs. NCIS hasn't had much contact with him in three days."

"If he comes home, Leah," Greg said, softly, "Will you call me?"

"Yes... of course," Leah whispered. She watched as Greg and Ziva turned away. "You'll... you'll call me if you hear from him?"

Greg sighed and nodded his head, but as the two law enforcement officials walked away, and Leah went back inside the apartment—all three knew that Tony wasn't going to contact them until whatever it was he was doing was finished.

* * *

Gibbs picked the lock in Jenny's house and stepped inside. He knew the alarm code by heart and punched it in. It was dark in the house, quiet. Most of Jenny's things had been sold to pay for her treatments and the downstairs den was now—or was—her room as stairs had become difficult for the woman to climb.

He flipped a light in the hallway on and made his way down to the study. There were many nights he had spent with her in that study, arguing, drinking—making up from their fights with sex. It was empty now except for a few personal items and Jenny's supply of Scotch. With a heavy sigh he lowered his body to the desk chair and turned the light on over the desk.

One single piece of paper was on the desk, _Dear Jethro _clearly written but nothing else. He wondered what she was going to say to him...

It didn't matter anymore. Jenny was dead. And he needed to finish this before anyone innocent got hurt. Gibbs had made sure that Tony and Tobias were not caught in the crosshairs by leaving the pair in the desert. He figured that Tony and Tobias had made their way back to D.C by now, but if he had played his cards right they had not figured it out that it had been Mike with Jenny when she died...

He heard the front door open, footsteps in the hall and Gibbs grinned, calling out, "Hello, Svetlana. Nice of you to drop by."


	55. Blows

**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Judgment Day", Tony and Gibbs may seem OOC

**A/N: **Lots of twists and turns coming! Enjoy!

* * *

"You are the one that killed Anatoli," the Russian woman said, aiming her gun at Gibbs. "I have waited years for this moment."

"Why now, Svetlana?" Gibbs asked, getting up to pour himself a drink, leaving his gun on the desk in plain view. "Why come after us after all these years?"

Svetlana snarled at him, putting the slightest bit of pressure on her trigger. "Because it took me that long to find the ones responsible for killing him."

Gibbs sipped his drink. "What was he to you?"

"Everything. He was everything to me."

"The night he died, a woman came to kill you. What happened?"

Svetlana followed his movements with her weapon, noticing the gun on the desk. "She couldn't do it."

Gibbs looked at his gun before asking, "Can you?"

He didn't expect her to hesitate, and she didn't, cocking the pistol and getting ready to fire. But before she could even pull back on the trigger, Tony shouted, "FBI! Drop the weapon!" Svetlana glanced over her shoulder to see the FBI agent enter, his gun drawn. "I mean it lady, put that gun down our I'll put a bullet between your eyes."

"Not before I put one in him first," Svetlana snarled, pulling back on the trigger at the same time as Tony let his shots fly. Her bullet shattered the window, Tony's went straight in her back, ending her life in a flash.

"Told you I'd put a bullet in you," Tony hissed under his breath.

Gibbs glared at him from the study. "DiNozzo... what the hell are you doing here?" he snapped, enraged that Tony had put his life on the line—yet again—for him.

Tony holstered his gun and stormed into the den. "You were going to go for that gun, right Gibbs?" he snapped. When the NCIS agent didn't answer, Tony turned on him. "I bet you think you were doing us all a favor, going off the rails like this, huh? Well, guess what—you weren't. If you had been shot and killed here tonight it would have made a much, much bigger mess than Jenny left us!"

"Wasn't going to get shot and killed tonight, Tony," the former marine said, tightly.

"So... you were going to go for that gun?" the FBI agent asked, then something dawned on him. "You played me! You knew I'd follow you and you knew I'd be here to stop her!"

"Are you pissed at me, DiNozzo?" Gibbs snarled, his pent up anger at not being able to control the situation finally releasing, the rage that he had let his friends die at the hands of Svetlana, dragging an innocent woman along with them. "Decker was dead! Sasha was dead! And Jenny was dead! There was no other choice!"

"Bull! You had plenty of choices, Gibbs!" Tony shouted, coming within inches of his former team leader. "You just chose the wrong play! You should have left this for the FBI to handle, you should have let me handle it! What? I'm not good enough to have found out who killed Jenny? Or were you trying to protect your ass from a botched operation all those years ago? Newsflash Gibbs! It's not all about you!"

Gibbs surprised both of them by striking Tony square in the jaw. The younger man was startled at first, stumbling backwards into the hall, but when he regained his footing and glared directly at the former marine... Gibbs knew he'd gone and push Tony too far this time.

Tony came at the older man fast—much like he did in their training spares—but this was not a training session. They took calculated swings at the other. Despite the fact that they had never actually come to blows, they each were a familiar opponent to the other. Years of sparring made them familiar, only this time they were not holding back, fueled by the pent up frustration of this damn case, and maybe years of finding themselves at odds over choices that had been made had led to the confrontation...

At some point Gibbs had know it was going to come to this. You couldn't keep putting two alpha males against each other without a fight breaking out. And Tony was putting up a hell of a fight, furiously striking out at Gibbs, and matching the former marine's blows with the same aggressive force.

Gibbs had needed an outlet for days now, since Jenny had gone missing. The need had only escalated when they had found her body in the desert. Brawling with Tony was the perfect outlet. Tony was perhaps the only one that would fight with him and then forgive him when it was all said and done. He was somewhat remorseful that every punch that managed to make contact with Tony was going to leave a mark... but he was embracing the pain of each blow that Tony landed on his own body. It made him feel something other than numb.

Grappling, they dragged their fight into the hallway—and ended it just as quickly when the warring agents tripped over a pair of boots and went crashing to the hardwood floor. The impact forced them apart and brought them back to their senses. They weren't enemies—they should not be the ones fighting.

Catching his breath, Tony pushed himself up into a sitting position, leaning against the wall. He looked at Gibbs, who was on all fours, blood dripping from his nose. "Gibbs... I..."

"Shut up, DiNozzo," Gibbs panted, pushing himself up to his knees. "Just... shut up."

"Fine..." Tony spat, tasting blood in his mouth. He must have bit his cheek in the scuffle. He looked around at the damage they had done. Broken glass, furniture tossed about... books littered the floor around Svetlana's body. "I was just going to say... it was probably about time you took a swing at me."

Gibbs glared at Tony while wiping the blood from his nose on his sleeve. "Me? You probably should have decked me years ago. What took you so long?"

Tony smiled even though it hurt. "Oh, well... I was afraid to lose my job back then. I think fighting between co-workers like that is frowned upon."

"Not frowned upon between two agents from different agencies?"

"Please... like you've never sucker punched Fornell."

Gibbs chuckled and got up on two shaky legs. How was he ever going to explain such a mess? Svetlana's body and the brawl with Tony... not to mention the diplomatic ramifications with Russia from all this...Vance was going to have his ass. He looked at Tony, still sitting on the floor. "Tony... thanks... for backing me up, for being there... to answer your question... I'm not sure I would have gone for the gun. Perhaps... I wanted her to kill me. Full circle. Everything would have been done. Now... it's just a mess."

Tony looked back at him, pensively. He knew what Gibbs was thinking; he had always known to some extent what Gibbs was thinking. "They're going to have your ass when they find her body. Probably mine too. Russia is going to be royally pissed off. But I'd take that shot in a heartbeat again, Gibbs, I wouldn't let her kill you."

"Yeah. I know, DiNozzo. And don't worry; they're not going to have my ass or yours," Gibbs finally said with a shake of his head.

"And how do you figure they won't find out?" Tony asked, brow furrowed in concern.

Gibbs sighed, heavily, "Because they're not going to find her body."

* * *

Leah had been a nervous wreck since she found out that Tony had stopped checking in with his team. She wasn't sure what was going on, Greg couldn't divulge any details to her but she was feeling so sick to her stomach at times that she physically got ill.

Copper tried his best to cheer her up by sticking to her side and snuggle with her, but even his warm, soft body wrapped up next to her on the sofa was not helping. Leah needed Tony to call her... she balled her fists up and started to cry again. What was wrong with her? This was not the first time that Tony had been working on a case where he had not been able to contact her. She was acting like the end of the world was coming.

Maybe it was, she realized as the news broke into the program she was watching to report on a house fire in Georgetown where it was believed a former director of a federal agency lived. Leah startled and grabbed for the remote, turning up the volume. As she listened to the report she knew—the fire was in Jenny's home and somehow, she was certain that Tony and Gibbs had something to do with it.

The locks turned in the door and Copper bounded off his spot next to her, happily rushing at the door to greet his master. Tony stepped inside the apartment, dropped his bag down by the door and reached out to scratch the dog behind the ears. "Hey, boy, did you miss me? Huh? Take good care of Leah for me?"

"He did a better job than you!" Leah hysterically cried, jumping off the sofa, tears streaming down her face. "No one has been able to reach you! Why didn't you call me? I was worried sick about you!"

"There was no time. I needed to get to Gibbs before he did something stupid. I'm sorry, sweetheart," Tony said, gently. He shut the door to the apartment and locked it up. Turning, he opened his arms to her.

She gladly took the invitation and fell into them, burying her face against his clothing. He stroked her hair, softly, murmuring that it was okay. Leah grasped his shirt and pulled back and studied him. She suddenly noticed the busted lip, and the swelling on his jaw. "What... what happened to you?"

He smiled, tightly and shook his head. It had been a hell of a day. Tony was glad that it was over. He'd briefly reported in to Greg that he had found Gibbs and that their suspect, Svetlana... or otherwise known as Natasha... had disappeared. He gave Greg the story that she must have run off with her lover... "I'm fine," Tony told her, "Happy to finally be home."

"Is that Jenny's house on the news?" Leah asked, gesturing over her shoulder at the television.

"Yeah," Tony told her honestly.

"Did you find her? Is she back in D.C?"

"Gibbs tracked her back here. When I caught up with him to arrest Jenny... the house was on fire."

Leah backed away from him and went to sit down on the sofa. She ran her hands through her hair before she grabbed the remote and shut the TV off. It was not the way she had imagined things ending. "How... how did the fire start?"

Tony sat down on the sofa with her. "Fire fighters we spoke to think gas leak. Won't know until they can investigate. They wanted us out of there real quick." He reached an arm out of her, silently requesting that she come closer to him.

She silently granted his request. Resting her head on his chest, Leah felt the tension leave her body, but not the sick to her stomach feeling. She slowly started to drift off to sleep deciding that perhaps tomorrow she would call the doctor because it appeared she had contracted a spring case of the flu.

* * *

Tobias was furious and rightfully so.

Gibbs was sitting on the sofa in his living room, using his beer bottle to nurse his swelling cheek, when the front door swung open and Tobias stormed into the house. He wasn't surprised and quietly offered, "Hey, Tobias."

"Don't _hey _me!" Tobias shouted. "I get off the plane in D.C only to be informed that Jenny Shepard's house has burned down with a body inside! FBI knows it's not her, NCIS knows it's not her! Maybe I'm better off not knowing... but what the hell were you thinking?"

"SecNav and Vance wanted anything that has to do with that operation in Paris to disappear," Gibbs said, wincing when he shifted his body. Tony had really beaten him up. _I guess I trained him well. _"Davenport wanted me to make the whole thing go away. And before you start screaming and shouting about getting Tony involved... your director was more than happy to play along—you know they didn't want to inform the public that they had let a high profile suspect slip through their fingers."

Tobias glowered at him. "So this was one big giant cover up from the beginning was it?"

Gibbs shook his head. "No. Not until Jenny was found dead in the diner. Before that there was no need to cover it up."

"And what am I going to tell Russia when I inform them that _four _of their nationals were shot to death here in America?"

"I don't know, you're smart, Tobias. And they all had their hands in illegal work. Probably won't come as a surprise to their country."

Tobias continued to glare at Gibbs. "Did you set fire to her house?"

Gibbs kept a neutral expression. "It was sanctioned."

"And DiNozzo?"

"In the clear, Tobias. Tony played everything by the book."

"You just couldn't tell him what you and SecNav were planning, huh?"

He shook his head and pulled his beer away from his cheek to take a sip. "No. If it didn't work I wanted Tony's hands to be clean," Gibbs said.

Everything was starting to become a bit clearer for Tobias. "You weren't sure if Tony would take the bait and follow you," Tobias stated.

Gibbs sipped his beer and just grinned, tired. No, he wasn't sure if Tony was going to take the bait, but he had counted on it. If Tony hadn't showed up, Gibbs was prepared to die, it only seemed fitting since Decker and Jenny were already dead—they had all botched that mission together. "He took the bait."

Tobias wasn't going to ask any further details on what happened in that house before the fire. The entire case was stamped with the words _classified _and _cover up, _that way both NCIS and the FBI came up smelling like roses. "Tony isn't going to be happy when he finds out you played him." When Gibbs didn't say anything, Tobias chuckled, "He already figured out you played him..."

"He did."

"And you're still standing..."

"Small mercies I suppose."

Tobias heaved a sigh and turned to go. "Don't take this the wrong way, Jethro, but I hope our paths don't cross for a while. You always seem to bring trouble along with you," he said, smiling at his old friend good-naturedly.

Gibbs chuckled, softly and took another sip of his beer, "Likewise, Tobias," he said, rising his bottle towards the other man, "Likewise."

* * *

National and local media was lapping up the story of a suspended federal agency director dying in a house fire. Only ones that knew the real truth, that she had been killed in a shoot out in the middle of the desert were the FBI teams and NCIS teams involved in the investigation of her death.

Langer shut the television off that was broadcasting news about Jenny's funeral and looked around the empty bullpen. Gibbs, Ziva and McGee had all attended Jenny's memorial service. Having no emotional ties to Shepard, Langer had paid his respects at the wake the previous night and come into the office to get some quiet time to work on back logged paper work.

By the time the rest of the team arrived, looking solemn, Langer had finished his paperwork. He didn't bother to ask how things went, he could see it in their eyes that it had not gone well. "Director Vance requested to see all us when you got back, Gibbs."

"What for?" Gibbs inquired, eyes traveling up towards the Director's office.

"He didn't say," Langer replied. "Said it was urgent."

Gibbs sighed. "Let's not keep him waiting," he said, leading the team up the stairs.

Vance was standing behind his desk, waiting for them, watching as they entered. He instructed McGee to close the door. "Rough few days," he said. "Officer David... the liaison position with NCIS is being terminated. Pack your bags. You're going home."

Ziva looked uncertainly at Gibbs but knew that the decision was final. And Vance wasn't done yet; he reassigned McGee to the Cyber Division; Langer was being reassigned as an agent afloat. It was like someone had sucked the air out of the room the tension was so thick.

"Agent Gibbs," Vance said, handing the lead agent three folders, "meet your new team. All of these assignments are effective immediately."

* * *

Tony crossed the street and made eye contact with Tim. Straightening his suit coat, Tony sat down at the table with his former partner. "Hey. What's going on? Your phone call sounded pretty serious."

Tim swallowed the anxious bile in his throat. It had been a long morning cleaning out his desk and transferring all this things down to the sub basement. "Vance broke up the team. Sent Ziva back to Israel and me to the Cyber Division—sent Langer to be the Agent Afloat on the _Ronald Reagan_."

"Why all the sudden change?"

"Classified operation. But I'm worried about Gibbs."

"Gibbs has dealt with new agents before."

Tim shook his head. "But not like this, Tony. Vance just pulled the rug out from underneath him. He struggled to adjust to Langer being the SFA... can you imagine what he's going to be like with _three _new agents? What he's going to do to Agent Lee?"

Tony startled at this piece of information. "Lee? Vance reassigned Lee to the team? She's a better lawyer than a field agent, McGee. Her file has to reflect that and Vance had to have read it. What's really going on?"

"I can't say," Tim said with a shake of his head.

"So... the move was calculated," Tony said. "And Gibbs is the only one that doesn't know about it."

"Think Langer is in the dark too," the NCIS agent quipped. "He wasn't apart of Vance's plan."

"But you and Ziva were," the FBI agent countered. Tony leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. "You need something from me, Tim?"

Tim sighed and looked around at the crowd before looking back at Tony. "Nothing... yet," he answered, honestly. "It's just... this whole situation reeks of something hinky."

Tony nodded in understanding. "Okay. If you think you're getting in too deep, Tim, don't wait as long as I did to speak up—to remove yourself from the situation, got it?"

"Yeah, I got it," Tim replied as Tony's cell phone rang.

"Need to take this," Tony said, holding his phone up. "Been working an embezzlement case all week. You going to be okay, Tim?"

He sighed and nodded. Tim didn't want to take up anymore of Tony's time. He wasn't even sure why he had contacted Tony in the first place. There was nothing that Tony could do and there was nothing that Tim could read Tony in on. It had just been a natural instinct to seek Tony out...

Tony gripped his shoulder, gave Tim a reassuring smile, and got up from the table answering his phone call. Later the two men would recall this particular conversation, their worries for Gibbs... and they were going to wish they had done something about it sooner. Much, much sooner.


	56. Change of Plans

**Warnings:** Slight spoilers up to the beginning of Season 6.

**A/N:** I apologize for the longer than usual wait. It was a long week at work and I was exhausted by the time I got home to write. Hope you are still enjoying! **Special thanks to everyone that has taken the time to read and review, favorite and follow my work :) **Also glad that you found the story **amaia **and that you are enjoying it!

* * *

Ice cold air filled the examination room. Leah sat nervously on the table, dressed in a hospital gown having just undergone blood tests and ultrasounds to determine why she wasn't feeling well. Her brain had automatically gone to the worst-case scenario—that she had cancer—but nothing prepared her for the news that she ended up getting. "Are you... are you sure I'm pregnant?"

Her doctor smiled and made some notations on her chart. "Yes. I mean, we won't know for sure until we get your blood tests back, but we didn't see any ulcers or tumors or anything else to suggest why you are not feeling well when we did your ultrasounds."

_This cannot be happening! _Leah thought with some panic. She was getting married in two months! She needed to fit into a very expensive wedding dress that her mother had bought for her! They were expecting at least three hundred guests! And she knew that neither her or Tony were ready for this! "Is it possible that I just... have caught some kind of bug?"

"Yes, of course, but since you don't have a fever or any other symptoms to suggest a virus I'm inclined to believe that you're pregnant," the doctor replied. She handed Leah some informational packets. "Here. Why don't you teak these home and look over them with your fiancée. I'll make sure that my nurse calls you the moment we get the blood tests back and we can formulate a plan from there."

"No... you don't understand! I _can't _be pregnant!" Leah gasped, feeling her nerves fraying more and more. "I'm getting married in two months! And... Tony and I... we always, always, use protection!"

"Contraceptives are not always affective, Leah," her doctor said, gently. "Listen, I know that this is overwhelming when you were not planning on having a baby anytime soon... there is plenty of support and options for you... but you need to talk to your fiancée before you make any decisions."

Decisions? Leah licked her lips nervously. Was the doctor talking about abortion? Adoption? _Well, just because you didn't plan on this baby... doesn't mean you can't love this baby! _ "How long does it take for the blood tests to come back?"

Her doctor pat her hand. "At least twenty-four hours. Why don't you go home and rest? Read those pamphlets I gave you, okay?" With that the doctor got up and left the examination room so Leah could get dressed.

Leah shakily got back into her top and jeans and then shoved the pamphlets into her purse, all she could think about was, _how am I going to tell Tony? _

* * *

Tony came home a few nights later, exhausted. He had completely pushed what Tim had said to him about Gibbs and the team to the back of his mind, never giving it another thought after their lunch a few days ago. His brain was focused on closing out this embezzlement case and Leah had been sick all week. He locked the door and put his weapon away. Copper was lounging with a sad face in his bed. "Uh-oh, is Mommy still sick?" Tony asked, teasingly as he leaned down to pet the dog.

Leah angrily slammed a cabinet door shut in the kitchen, startling him. She cursed that they were out of something and Tony could see why the dog was keeping his distance from her.

Cautiously he stepped into the kitchen. "Sweetheart? Everything okay?" Tony asked.

Glaring at him, she continued rummaging through the cabinets to find something to eat. "No! We're out of Nutella! And I want something chocolate!"

"There's ice cream in the freezer," Tony suggested.

"I don't want ice cream, or I would have taken that out," Leah snapped back.

Tony watched as Copper inched his way into the kitchen and went to his water bowl, avoiding Leah. _Even the dog is keeping his distance, _Tony observed. Copper never kept his distance from Leah, ever. "Did you have a bad day?" he asked, softly.

Leah's reaction of tears and sobs was _not _the reaction he was expecting. "No! My day was fine!" she cried. "I'm sorry...you were just trying to help me and I yelled at you!" She finally found a bag of chocolate chips and opened them, stuffing a handful in her mouth. It was either the chocolate or the chewing motion, but she calmed almost immediately and wiping her tears turned towards him. "Tony... we need... we need to talk."

He didn't like the sound of that. Tony shifted anxiously on his feet. "Talk? Are you breaking up with me?"

She sniffled and shook her head. "No. I'm not breaking up with you."

"Well... what's going on then? You've run the gambit of emotions in fifteen seconds here..."

"I... I'm pregnant."

Tony froze. Pregnant? How the hell did that happen? _Oh well, you know how it happened... but... we always used protection! _ He balled his fists up against his thighs. "Pregnant?" he repeated, just to make sure he had heard her right.

Leah's lower lip trembled. She nodded her head, slowly, letting a few tears leak out of her eyes. "Yes. I... I went to the doctor... she said that she thought I was pregnant and I... I didn't believe her so I took one of those home pregnancy tests and it came back positive... the nurse called me today with my blood test results... they confirmed it."

He could see that she was terrified. Tony didn't want her to be terrified. He reached out and pulled her towards him, kissing her, deeply. Pulling back he rested his forehead against hers and smiled, "Leah... we're going to be fine. So what if it's a little bit sooner than we planned? It doesn't mean I'll love you or that baby any less."

She eased slightly in his arms. She had been so worried that he would be just as panic stricken as she was... that he would walk out that door never to return..."You think... you think we're ready?"

"Oh hell no," Tony said with a laugh. He pressed his lips to hers softly. "But that doesn't matter now. Ok? I'm going to take care of you, take care of our baby."

"I'm scared," Leah confessed.

"Me too, bella," he whispered.

Leah smiled at him. "To be honest I thought you were going to freak out a bit more."

Tony chuckled. "Well, I think it's common law that during pregnancy only one parent at a time can freak out—and that title belongs to you today."

"What are we going to tell my parents? My mother wouldn't talk to Lauren for months when she got pregnant without being married."

"What if we told them we were already married?"

"Huh? How is that going to work? Our wedding is in two months."

Tony ran his fingers through her hair. "We elope. Still have that big reception in two months so your parents don't lose all that money... we just tell them that we couldn't wait to be married and start a family."

Leah sighed and rested her head on his chest. She was glad that he hadn't freaked out, that he was being calm even though she knew he was just as scared as she was. She felt one of his hands reach down between them and rub her belly, lovingly. "I love you, Anthony."

He kissed the top of her head. "I love you too, Leah." Smiling he got down onto his knees and kissed her belly. "And I love you too, baby girl or boy."

She giggled and pulled him up to his feet, kissing him, deeply. There were a lot of obstacles ahead, but they were going to face them, together. "So... we know how my day went... how did yours go?"

"I spent the entire day running down leads and looking at bank accounts," Tony replied, rubbing her arms.

"Oh... sounds exciting," Leah teased, smiling up at him.

"Someone has to do it."

"No crime is too small."

Tony tucked her hair behind her ears. "Do you feel better?"

Leah nodded. "Yes. I really thought... I really thought you might run on me."

"What? I would never do that to you, Leah," Tony promised her.

"I know... just the hormones have made me a bit irrational," Leah said, sheepishly.

"Hey," he said, "Why don't we have dinner and then look into getting married this weekend, okay?"

"I like the sound of that," she said, grinning.

* * *

Celeste was surprised to find that the store Leah wanted her to meet at the following afternoon was a dress boutique. "Why are we here?" she asked. "You already have your shower dress and your wedding dress."

Leah smiled at her anxiously. "Tony and I are getting married Friday night, on the National Mall. We found an ordained minister that's free that evening and well, I need a dress for that. The gown is too fancy for this."

"Wait a minute? You're getting married _Friday?"_

"Yes. On the National Mall."

Celeste eyed her friend suspiciously. Leah had been acting strange for the last week or so, but Celeste thought that was because Tony was away... "Oh my God! You're pregnant!" she gasped, eyes wide.

Leah mocked glared at her and then she smiled, shyly. "Yes... I'm pregnant," she said, quickly silencing Celeste's happy squeals by snapping, "But you cannot tell anyone else yet, okay? Only Tony and my doctor know and I'd like to keep it that way."

"Fine... but oh my God!" Celeste said, grinning. "You! Little Miss Follow the Plan! Married by twenty-seven, have a baby by twenty-nine, is having a baby! At twenty six!"

"I'll be twenty-seven in a few weeks," Leah said, slightly rolling her eyes. She brushed her ponytail off her shoulder. "And, ok, so what? I didn't stick to the plan."

Celeste laughed. "You would always freak out when a guy messed with the plan... remember that cute Air Force guy who wanted to marry you? Boy... did you split when he started talking marriage and babies!"

Leah scoffed at her and opened the door to the boutique. "He obviously was not the right guy! And besides, he was getting stationed overseas. I didn't want to pack up and move that far away, not when I'm this close to finishing my doctorate."

"Excuses, excuses," Celeste said, following her friend into the store. "He was a hot guy that wore a uniform."

"Well, I found a hotter guy that carries a badge," Leah retorted.

"What are you going to tell your mother?"

"Tony and I couldn't wait to be married. We'll still have the reception... and then a few weeks later tell her I'm pregnant."

"She's going to figure it out you know."

"I'm hoping that the joy of becoming a grandmother again will smooth her over."

Celeste laughed, softly, and picked an ivory lace sundress off the rack. "Here go try this on."

Leah looked at the dress. "It's not white."

"I think we can both agree—white isn't appropriate in this situation," Celeste joked.

"Fine," Leah said, taking the dress out of her hand and heading towards the fitting room. "I'll humor you and try it on."

By the end of their lunch hour Leah had a dress for Friday night, a sweet one shoulder, fit and flare dress in a soft pink. Celeste was certain that it was going to take Tony's breath away, just as much as the wedding gown, because it wasn't the dress after all—it was the person in it.

* * *

"Wow, it's dark down here," Tony said as he stepped off the elevator in the sub-basement at NCIS.

"How did you get in here?" Tim asked, looking at him perplexed.

Tony held his FBI badge up and then flashed his visitor badge. "Told them I was here on official business."

Tim took a deep breath. "And are you?"

"No," Tony replied, smiling, "Just came to invite you to the wedding."

"I already got an invitation in the mail," Tim pointed out.

Tony sat down in the desk chair near Tim's workstation and kept smiling up at him, broadly. "Not that wedding. I'm talking about the wedding taking place this Friday, on the National Mall. Small affair, just a few of our closest friends—you, Celeste—Steve, maybe Abby and Gibbs..."

Tim shook his head to clear his thoughts. What the hell was Tony talking about? "Are you and Leah getting married Friday? Why the sudden change of plans, Tony? I mean, the wedding is only eight weeks away."

Fidgeting in his seat, Tony looked away for a second. "We decided that we don't want to wait any longer to be married," he replied.

Clearly, Tim could see what was going on here. "You got her pregnant didn't you?"

"What... what makes you think that?"

"Why else would you rush a wedding when there's only two months to go?"

Tony stood up and looked at his former partner incredulously. "Are you going to be there Friday night or not?"

Tim smiled, wistfully. "I'll be there—Daddy. Wouldn't miss it for the world."

* * *

He was expecting Gibbs to drop by, eventually.

They hadn't talked since the night at Jenny's house, when Tony had shot Svetlana, promptly beat the crap out of his former boss and then helped the man set a sanctioned fire to a historic home in Georgetown. Suddenly that talk with Tim came front and center, and Tony smiled, softly. "Hey Gibbs, having trouble adjusting to your new team?"

Gibbs grunted as Tony let him into the apartment. He was still wondering why Vance had felt the need to break up his team. They had an excellent closure rate and for the most part they got along well. Sometimes he had doubts about Langer and Ziva, but it didn't warrant splitting the team up. "Vance is off his rocker," he grumbled, finding a spot on the sofa. "I think he's up to something but I can't figure out what yet."

"Not everyone is out to get you, Gibbs, you know that right?" Tony quipped.

"Never said Vance was out to get me," Gibbs replied.

"Sounds like you don't trust him."

"Would you?"

Tony sat down on the sofa and ran his hands over his face. He heard some grumblings around the Hoover Building that NCIS had a mole, but since he was in the middle of an investigation himself, he had not looked into it further. "Listen... if Vance split up the team, I'm sure he had his reasons."

Gibbs gave his head a little shake. "If he did, he's not sharing with me, DiNozzo. I know you went to see Tim today. Only way they let you down into the sub basement was because you were working a case..."

He didn't miss a beat. Tony set his jaw and said, "I've been working an embezzlement case. Thought Timmy could do some hacking for me."

And there was no way the former marine totally bought that. "FBI doesn't have their own hackers?"

"None I trust."

"Fair enough. But I'm still not buying it."

"Would you believe that I missed him?"

"Missed him? You see him more now, outside of work, than you did working with him."

Tony tossed his old boss a casual grin. "Well... every jock needs their super smart, geeky best friend."

Gibbs picked a pamphlet up on the coffee table and waved it in Tony's face. "Is this why you went to see Tim? Heard Abby say that the wedding is this weekend. Is Leah pregnant, Tony?"

He looked away, anxiously wringing his hands. Tony had spent the last couple of hours looking over all the pamphlets that Leah had brought home from the doctor's office and none of them had eased his nerves. "Yes," he finally said, looking at Gibbs, "she's pregnant."

Holding the pamphlet tightly in his hand, Gibbs looked at his former agent, seriously. He had his suspicions when he heard Abby talking about Tony and Leah moving their marriage ceremony to the coming weekend and making their wedding date just a reception... something in his stomach tightened. "Are you... keeping the baby?"

"What? Yes!" Tony exclaimed, snatching the pamphlet out of Gibbs hand. "The doctor only gave the abortion and adoption pamphlets to Leah so she knew her options!"

"Tony..." Gibbs started, but the younger man was on his feet, nostrils flared.

"Listen I know I'm not prime candidate for father of the year, but I think I'm perfectly capable of raising a child with Leah," Tony snapped.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs snapped back, "I never said I thought you weren't capable of being a father... just... the only pamphlets here are for abortion and adoption!"

Tony glanced at the coffee table. Gibbs was right. Leah had taken the other ones about prenatal care into the bedroom. He flopped back down onto the sofa, restlessly. "I'm way out of my league here, Gibbs."

Gibbs chuckled and pat Tony on the back, affectionately. "In my opinion, Tony, that baby is lucky to have you."

He smiled, broadly... which just as quickly faded when Leah cried for him from the bathroom. Tony stood up and frowned. "Part of being a dad involves taking care of the mother right? While she's pregnant?"

"Yes," Gibbs said with a firm nod.

"Oh, good," Tony said as he disappeared into the bedroom, "then I'm off to a great start. I've been holding her hair back all night!"


	57. Vows

**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Last Man Standing", "Kill Ari". Tony's thoughts are not pro-Tiva, there's a tiny hint at Tate, some mush and some fluff.

**A/N:** Love lazy summer weekends where I have nothing else on my schedule so I can sit down and write :) Happy long weekend!

**amaia- **_I love Nutella! :D Not sure yet if they are having a boy or a girl. I haven't decided, guess we'll see!_

**E- **_ Leah's mother is not going to be thrilled, but I think she'll come around when she finds out about the baby._

* * *

Leah was asleep by midnight, buried underneath a pile of blankets on their bed.

Tony on the other hand was wide-awake, watching her sleep. Tomorrow night they were going to be married and in nine months they were going to have a baby He was not freaking out as much as he thought he was going to be. Gently he brushed her hair out of her face, not wanting to wake her up. She had been sick all evening after their dinner of chicken curry did not sit well in her stomach and he wanted her to rest.

His gentle touches stirred her but only slightly. Leah sighed in her sleep and rolled away from him, taking the blankets with her. He smiled and reached out, running his fingers through the hair he had been holding back the entire evening while she vomited over and over again. If they had a daughter he wanted her to look just like Leah... with her golden brown hair and blue eyes and smile...

On the nightstand his cell phone vibrated across the wood towards him. Tony groaned as Leah began to wake up. "Sorry," he mumbled as he flipped it open. "Yeah, what's going on Greg that you needed to call me after midnight."

"_Turn the TV on," _Greg said. "_I just got off the phone with Homeland Security. Guy we've been watching in this embezzlement case... ended up dead in a nightclub."_

"I'm not following," Tony said as he climbed out of bed. He shut the door behind him before turning the TV on. Quickly he found ZNN. "He died in a bombing in Morocco?"

"_That's what reports say," _Greg replied. "_I was following along to get some kind of confirmation, saw something that might peak your interest." _

Tony froze when he saw what his agent was talking about, there on a continuous loop of footage was Ziva being loaded into an emergency vehicle. It didn't surprise him that she was back at Mossad and that conversation with Tim a few days ago suddenly seemed relevant. Still... it was probably only coincidence that both their embezzlement suspect and Ziva had ended up at that nightclub when the bomb went off. Chances were that the Mossad officers were the target...

Shutting the television off he thanked Greg for the call and hung up. Tony put his cell phone on the end table in the living room and headed back to bed. As he pulled the sheets back he suddenly realized how close he'd come to being tangled up in Mossad if he had started an affair with Ziva. And that's what it would have been. They never would have been able to make it public. Rule 12 and all.

For a second he tried to imagine Ziva in that bed, but he couldn't place her, it didn't feel right. She never spoke of wanting to have a family or settle down, even her reasons for coming to NCIS weren't about having a husband and kids—she had needed to get away from her father for a while. And she never talked about dates or dating, certainly not like Tony, but even McGee would mention from time to time about the girl he was seeing. Ziva never said a word about who she was seeing.

It all made sense to him now. Her life was unstable, even more so now that she was back at Mossad. She probably had never envisioned a life with a husband and kids—it was not allowed as part of her training.

"Honey," Leah sighed, "Can you get me some water?"

"Sure," Tony said, rubbing her back gently before heading into the bathroom to fill a glass.

Leah was sitting up against the headboard when he returned with it. Tony gave her the glass and watched as she drank it. He'd been pumping her with fluids all night, so she wouldn't dehydrate from all the vomiting, but this was the first time she had requested something to drink. Finished with her water, she put the glass on the nightstand. "What did Greg want? Do you have to leave?"

Tony shook his head and sat down on his side of the bed. "Just saw something on the news that might interest me. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere until the morning. Are you feeling okay?"

She rubbed her belly and made a little face. "I don't feel like I'm going to throw up... for now at least."

He chuckled and leaned over to kiss her temple. "Do you want to try eating something?"

"I think I'm going to wait on that one."

"All those articles I read said that the morning sickness gets better, okay?"

"Morning sickness? Try _all day _sickness!"

"Ok well, it's supposed to get better by the second trimester."

Leah wrapped her arms around his waist and slid down, snuggling against him. "I hope it at least goes away for tomorrow. I don't want our wedding to be ruined because I'm throwing up the whole evening."

Tony kissed the top of her head and slipped his arms around her. "Everything is going to work out, sweetheart. Tomorrow is going to be perfect, whether you're puking your brains out or not."

She laughed. "That sounds romantic."

He grinned at her. "I think it does."

"If I do throw up I'll make sure I throw up on you then."

"Sounds like a fair deal. After all, I am the one that got you into this mess."

Leah looked at him, seriously. "I don't think it's a mess. It's just sooner than we originally planned."

Tony kissed her softly. "I don't know what kind of a father I'm going to be, Leah, but I do know that I will never, ever abandon you or our baby. I will not become my own father that thought money was more important than his family—than his son."

"You're going to make a great daddy, Tony," she told him with a broad smile.

"Am I? How do you know that?" he asked.

"I just know and because you've been taking care of me all night."

"I love you, Leah, isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"

Leah sighed and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep. "Who knew that my knight in shining armor would carry a gun instead of a sword?"

Tony chuckled as she fell back to sleep. Kissing her cheek he soon drifted off to sleep himself, thinking, _who knew is right._

* * *

Despite all the tourists crowding the National Mall that warm, sunny, Friday evening, Tony only had eyes for Leah. She looked beautiful in her light pink, one shoulder dress. It brought out the blue in her eyes and her hair was just simply curled with a curling iron. She made even the simplest of dresses look elegant.

There was a slight buzz in the air around their group while they waited for the priest to arrive. Celeste was wearing a nice green cocktail dress that showed off her great curves, and Tim had busted out his finest suit that he had worn to a friend's wedding the year before. Abby had let her hair out of the pigtails and was standing underneath her black lace parasol, wearing a matching black lace dress.

Jimmy and Ducky had come as well. Tony's team was there, and the only one that was missing, that Tony was sure would have made an appearance, was Gibbs. But the former marine was nowhere to be found.

Leah must have seen the hurt in his eyes. "Maybe Gibbs was busy," she whispered. "I'm sure he'd be here if he could."

Tony sighed as the priest arrived and kissed her cheek. "I just thought he'd be here." _I hope everything is all right. _

"Do you want to call him?" Leah asked. "We can wait."

"No. We've waited long enough," Tony said. He pulled her close to him and kissed her cheek once again. "Let's get married, sweetheart."

The priest smiled at the couple. "I see that you have brought plenty of witnesses. Shall we begin?" He instructed them to stand facing one another and to hold hands.

Leah glanced up at him with a smile on her face and he felt his heart flutter. He wasn't sure he could express into words how much he loved her, how much he loved the baby growing in side of her, or how much he was looking forward to building a life with her.

Tony wasn't sure why he had gotten so lucky. Abby kept telling him it was fate that he had ended up with Leah. It was probably true because he had been in Paris looking for another woman, not Leah. Who knew that his greatest career mistake was going to turn into his best personal decision? He gave her hands a squeeze and smiled at her while the priest spoke of love and vows and commitment.

"Have you prepared vows?" the priest asked the couple. They nodded. "Leah? Would like to go first?"

She took a deep breath and swallowed, nervously. "I know that our relationship didn't start out like most. We met and fell in love, each thinking the other was someone else. I wasn't sure I would ever be able to trust you until I realized that what mattered the most—that you loved me—wasn't a lie. And yes, we've had some crazy ups and downs but you've always been there for me, Tony. I might have had my doubts about a lot of things but I have never had any doubts that you love me or that I love you."

He smiled at her and gave her hands another gentle squeeze. "I think I made a vow to myself a long time ago, Leah, that I was going to commit to you. I was going to love you and honor you and take care of you no matter what. You showed me how to love again, Leah. You showed me that I shouldn't be afraid to give my heart away because when you find the right person the rewards are endless."

"Leah," the priest said when their vows were done. "Do you take Anthony to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," Leah affirmed, happy tears filling her eyes.

"Anthony," the priest continued, "Do you take Leah to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," Tony replied, giving his bride a soft smile.

The priest asked for the rings and held them out to the couple. "Let these rings be a symbol of your love and commit to one another. Please, Leah, put the ring on Anthony's hand to represent your endless, boundless love for him."

Leah took the wedding band out of the palm of the priest's hand and slipped it onto Tony's ring finger. She smiled at him coyly when it slipped into place. She had been joking with him for a few months that once she put the wedding band on his finger there was going to no turning back. He was thinking about this too, since he was silently laughing at her.

Turning towards Tony, he instructed that the federal agent do the same—to put the ring on Leah's finger to represent his endless, boundless love for her. Slipping the wedding band on her finger, he felt his heart beating rapidly against his chest. Not because it was panicked that he had bound himself to one woman for the rest of his life, but because he could not wait to start introducing her to people that they met as _his wife. _

"Anthony, Leah, by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Anthony you may kiss your bride!"

He scooped her up, gently into his arms and kissed her, passionately while their friends cheered and applauded. Celeste was throwing rose petals from a small pouch in her hand onto the happy couple. Pulling back from their first kiss as husband and wife, Tony noticed a tear slip out of her eye and run down her cheek. He wiped it away and whispered, "Don't cry, bella."

She sighed and her lower lip quivered. "I can't help it. I promise they're happy tears, Tony! It's the extra hormones! They have made me really emotional," she whispered back and then laughed when he smiled.

Tony took her by the hand and they went threw the round of congratulatory hugs and handshakes. Abby and Celeste were insisting on taking photographs. During this time, he glanced up and saw that Gibbs was leaning against a parked Charger, coffee in his hand, but smiling at his former SFA. Tony excused himself and went to join him. "I didn't think you were going to make it."

Gibbs took a sip of his coffee. "Wouldn't miss this, Tony. Told my team I would be back in a couple of hours."

"Ouch, you have them working on a Friday night?"

"Tough love. You remember it, don't ya?"

Tony chuckled. "Oh yeah. I remember. Glad you could make it, Gibbs. Even if it's only for a few minutes."

Gibbs opened the car door behind him and pulled out a present. It was wrapped simply in white wrapping paper and it wasn't very big. Flat, rectangular. Tony figured it was a picture frame of some kind. Gibbs handed it to Tony. "Open it."

He didn't argue. Gently he pulled back the paper and revealed a sketch of himself, sitting at his desk with sunglasses on, leaning back in his chair on the phone. And it was framed by something that was clearly made by hand—something that Gibbs had made. "Gibbs? Where did you get this?"

"Kate," Gibbs said simply. "After she died... Ziva found her sketchbook in her desk and gave it to me. This one was in it. I thought she'd want you and Leah to have it."

"Wow... I never knew... I mean I _knew _she was a good artist but I never knew she had drawn this," Tony said. He smiled, sadly. "Abby gave me the cartoon sketch of me..."

"And Abby told me that Leah laughed when she first saw it," Gibbs said, chuckling. "I think this one will really make her smile."

"I miss Kate, Gibbs," Tony admitted. "Some days I look around me and think she should still be here."

Gibbs could relate. There were days that he felt the same way. He gestured towards Leah. "Kate would have approved, Tony. She would have been happy for you."

Tony ran his tongue over his lips. "I never told you this but... I always thought that someday it would be Kate I was going to marry. There was something about her that reminded me of why I loved Wendy... besides the leaving me the night before our wedding. Funny how life can change in a heartbeat."

Leah was coming over to join them. Instantly her face lit up when she saw the sketch. "I love it! Where did you get it?"

"Kate drew it," Tony said with a fond smile. "Think this will look good in our apartment?"

"I think it will fit in perfectly," Leah said, kissing his cheek. "We're all heading to the restaurant. Are you ready?"

Tony glanced at Gibbs for a moment. The NCIS agent gestured for him to go. Tucking the frame underneath his arm, he reached out and shook Gibbs hand. "Thanks, Gibbs."

Gibbs smiled at him. "You don't have to thank me, Tony. Just go have a nice evening. Celebrate the good things happening in your life—that will be enough thanks for me."


	58. Unstable Visit

**Warnings:** None for this chapter.

**A/N**: I deeply apologize for the delay in an update. Real life has sadly gotten in the way since the fall started. I also apologize if I did not respond if you left a review, so here is one great big thank you :). Hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

John Dawson knew that something was up with his daughter when Leah reached out to her parents and invited them to D.C for the weekend. As much as he loved his daughter, she was not the type to extend an open invitation to her parents to visit her. All of his children maintained a cool and comfortable distance from their parents. It was necessary if they wanted to remain on good terms with their high maintenance mother.

Leah showing up solo at the airport to pick them up, wearing a very big Ohio State sweatshirt and leggings immediately sent her mother into overdrive as it was. Katherine immediately noticed the absence of Tony. "Mom... Tony is working... he did not break up with me."

"Well, who shows up at the airport to pick their parents up in a sweatshirt and leggings?" Katherine snapped at her.

"I do. We're going right back to the apartment," Leah snapped in response.

John grabbed a hold of his wife's arm to stop her from arguing with their daughter. "Katherine, I'm sure that everything is fine between Tony and Leah. It's not uncommon that an FBI agent might be working on the weekend."

Katherine looked at Leah, nervously. "Is that true? How often are you alone if Tony works all these crazy hours?"

Leah opened the trunk to her car and put her parents' luggage in it. "The building is secure, Mom, and we have the dog." _Not to mention a spare gun in our bedroom._ But she wasn't comfortable using the gun. Tony had taken her to the firing range but even after instructing her, Leah found she wanted nothing to do with the weapon. She felt relatively safe in their apartment, especially with Copper there.

"Darling, why don't we get into the car?" John said, opening the passenger door for his wife. Katherine got in with a bit of a frown on her face. She had never been able to fully accept her daughter's independence—any of them.

"Thanks, Daddy," Leah mumbled before her and her father got into the car. She slammed the door shut, buckled up and pulled out into the traffic. Her nerves were already frayed knowing that she had to inform her parents this weekend of her pregnancy and the early marriage. _It's going to go over like a ton of bricks with my mother, _she thought as they drove away from the airport.

She had planned it all out in her head. Tony would get home from work, they would order dinner from their favorite take out place, and they would sit down and tell her parents. Of course, the best laid plans...

Katherine found the bottle of prenatal vitamins in the cup holder and shook them. "Leah? Are you pregnant?" Her mother was gazing at her with those judgmental eyes she had used when Lauren first came home and announced she was pregnant before getting married. "Is _this _why you invited us here?"

Leah bit down nervously on her lower lip. "Yes, mom, that was... that was one of the reasons we invited you here. I didn't want to tell you over the phone because I knew you were going to react this way!"

"What other way am I supposed to react? We have almost three hundred guests coming to a wedding next weekend! Do you know how embarrassing it will be to cancel?"

"Tony and I are not asking that you cancel."

"Then what are you asking me? Do you think it should still go on with all of Boston society to see that you got pregnant before you got married?"

She swallowed hard as her foot slammed down on the brake. Leah glanced nervously at her mother while they sat at the stoplight. "Tony and I are already married."

Her mother's eyes became dark. "You want me to throw a party for your courthouse nuptials?"

"Actually we had a priest marry us on the National Mall."

"Take us to a hotel, Leah."

"Mom..."

"Leah. Take us to a hotel."

With a heavy sigh, Leah knew that she was not going to win this argument. So, she turned around and began searching for hotel that would meet her mother's standards as well as having a room for her parents. When they arrived her mother got out of the car without saying good-bye. Her father sighed and gave her a small kiss before following his wife. Leah, in tears, headed back towards the apartment, alone.

* * *

Tony was surprised to find the apartment empty when he got home from work. Copper was sound asleep on his bed near the fireplace, looking a tad bit depressed. Leah had not been giving him as much attention since she got pregnant and it was clear how the dog felt about that. He chuckled and began to look through the mail in his hand. Bills, credit card applications, and something addressed to Leah from the doctor. _Her ultra sound photographs, _he thought with a broad grin.

Working the envelope open, he had just pulled the photographs out when the door to the apartment opened and Leah stepped inside. Tony glanced up from the first photographs of his baby to see that his wife of just a few weeks had been crying. "What happened? Are you okay? Is the baby okay?" he asked, concerned.

Leah threw herself at him, catching Tony off guard before he wrapped her into his arms. "My mother found the prenatal vitamins in my car when I picked them up from the airport. She was so upset... they're staying at a hotel for the night and going home tomorrow."

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry," Tony whispered, rubbing her back. "Maybe your dad will get her to come around, alright. We can still have a nice evening. It's not ruined."

"But it is! My mother _hates _me!" Leah sobbed.

Tony had learned in the last few weeks that the hormones were making her exaggerate, so he kept his mouth shut and just continued to comfort her. Gently he nudged her towards the living room and the sofa. He sat her down and gave her kiss on the cheek before he got up and went to put on some soft jazz music. "I'm going to make us some dinner. You just... relax, listen to the music, alright?"

Leah sniffled and reached for the throw blanket over the back of the sofa. She pulled it around her, tightly. "I want my parents to be in our baby's life, Tony. She'll... she'll come around right?"

"Yes. She just needs time. It will get better."

"What if it doesn't?"

"Do you honestly think your dad is going to let it go far? He's going to want to meet his grandchild. This isn't my father we're talking about."

She wasn't sure how far her mother was going to let this go. Katherine could be extremely stubborn and especially when it came to her social status. Leah sniffled again and wiped her eyes. "Well," she said, "you don't have to worry about going to Boston anymore. My mother is cancelling the reception."

He saw the torn look in her eyes and felt his heart break. Tony slipped his hand into his pocket and found his cell phone. She needed a night of pizza and movies. Perhaps, he needed that as well. It was starting to look more and more like their embezzlement case was going to entangle with NCIS, which was going to make things tricky, and Tony found that he was incredibly stressed about it. His in-laws were not going to make matters any easier apparently.

Leah shifted on the sofa, a look of discomfort on her face and she winced. For a moment she just sat there, her hands resting on her stomach, until she let out a little cry and a panic stricken look passed over her features. "Tony! Something... something is wrong!"

Tony helped her to her feet and grabbed his keys. "Alright, please just calm down," he said, even though he wasn't feeling very calm himself. "Let's go to the ER and have them check you out."

"What if I lose the baby!" she sobbed.

"Sweetheart, everything is going to be fine," he assured her. "I'm sure it's nothing. Let's just get to the ER. Ok?"

She nodded her head and let him lead her out of the apartment down to his car. What if her fleeting thought that she wished she had never gotten pregnant was the cause for the cramping? What if she lost her baby? She didn't think she could live with the guilt.

He got her comfortable in the car before getting in himself. As they were driving towards the hospital, he reached over and grabbed her hand. Tony gave it a gentle squeeze, trying to keep her calm, assure that everything was going to be fine. Deep down inside he was having trouble believing it himself. Right now the fate of their baby was out of his hands and he hated that.

* * *

"There's your baby's heartbeat," the ER doctor said warmly as the sound of a baby's heart beating filled the room. "And it's a strong one."

"Everything is alright?" Leah asked, uncertain. The cramping had stopped but she was still scared that she was losing her baby.

"Yes, everything is fine," the doctor replied. "What you experienced were Braxton Hicks contractions. Most women don't even feel them."

Leah looked at Tony sheepishly. "I'm sorry I dragged us here for nothing."

The doctor shook his head. "No, you and your husband had the right idea to come here, just to make sure. You're going to make good parents." He stood and shook Tony's hand before leaving. "I'll have the nurse come and clean you up from the ultrasound, Mrs. DiNozzo."

Tony waited until the doctor was gone to lean over and plant a gentle kiss on his wife's forehead. "See, I told you that everything was going to be alright. Our baby is just fine and you heard the doctor—he or she has a good, strong heartbeat."

"If I hadn't panicked we could be having a nice dinner right now," Leah sniffled. "This entire evening has been one disaster after another."

"Hearing the baby's heartbeat does not qualify as disaster. At least not in my book," Tony countered. "Besides, we can still order that pizza."

Leah fell silent and remained that way while the nurse cleaned her up, while she got dressed, and while she finished signing off on her discharge papers. Tony was a little concerned, even more when she quietly blurted in the car, "For a second I thought if I miscarried it would solve all my problems. The doctor is wrong. I'm not going to make a good mother."

Tony wasn't sure how to respond. It had only been a second she'd had that thought, and in the panic of the moment he could see why she had it—she was setting herself up to cope with the loss of their baby if she had miscarried. But that didn't mean she was going to make a horrible mother, did it?

His silence unnerved her and she sobbed. "You hate me don't you? I hated myself for evening thinking it, Tony! I swear! I didn't want our baby to die!"

Her wide range of emotions was going to kill him at some point, he was sure of it. "I don't hate you," he said, softly as he parked in front of their favorite pizza place. "You're just... don't take this the wrong way, Leah, because I love you... but you're a little unstable right now."

She fell silent and he expected her to start screaming angrily at him. Instead, she sighed and lowered her chin to her chest. "You're right," Leah said, a few stray tears running down her cheeks. "I've completely lost my mind."

"You're under a lot of stress and the changes your body is going through add up after a while," Tony suggested.

"I was hoping... you know... to talk to my mom this weekend," Leah whimpered. "Guess that's out of the picture."

Her need for a mentor in this situation was clear to Tony. She couldn't talk to Celeste or any of her friends at the University; even most of her friends back home in Boston were not an option as none of them had kids. And while her sister Lauren no doubt would speak to her, Lauren's family was living in England at the current time and extremely difficult to get in touch with. Tony wondered how long she had been bottling up all her fears and questions, hinging her hopes on this weekend to get a chance to speak to her mother.

Leah opened her door and stepped out of the car, slamming it shut, and effectively ending their conversation. Tony got out of the car next and followed her into the pizza parlor. After their dinner and he got her home, resting, he had another stop to make.

* * *

John knew Tony was going to pop up at their hotel room. Katherine's rash treatment of Leah was not something that was going to settle well with his son-in-law. "Anthony, we weren't expecting to see you."

Tony shoved his hands in his pockets. "Can I come in for a moment? There's something I need to get off my chest." He was let inside the hotel room and the door closed behind him with a click. He noticed that Katherine was seated at the table eating and that she glared at him slightly. "I know this isn't how you pictured things going, Mrs. Dawson, but what you did today was downright cruel. Leah has spent her whole life trying to please you. She fretted over telling you for weeks about the baby because she was afraid of how you were going to react."

Katherine regarded him icily. "Getting married at a tourist attraction is no way for any well-respected woman to get married. There are ways we could have hid her pregnancy from the guests. No one would have known about it until well after."

"Did you look at her today? Her stomach grows daily," Tony snapped. "I know you're never going to agree with us—but she needed you today. She needed you to be a mother to her and not turn your nose up at her. We had a bit of a scare tonight—thought for a moment we were going to lose our baby—and you know something, Leah was so torn up about you that for a brief second she wished she would miscarry because she thought that was going to solve everything."

"A scare?" Katherine asked, her voice decidedly weaker than before. "What kind of a scare?"

"Turned out to be Braxton Hicks contractions," Tony stated. "The baby is fine, the doctor at the emergency room did an ultra-sound."

John shook his head sadly. The youngest of five, Leah had always felt the pressure to be perfect, to not repeat the same mistakes her older siblings had made. "Katherine, I told you earlier that this was ridiculous. Leah is our daughter, carrying our grandchild. How would have felt if we had lost that grandchild tonight?"

Katherine swallowed. "Weeks and weeks of preparation went into that wedding. Am I just supposed to ignore all that money spent, all that time I spent making sure everything was perfect for her."

"Everything _is _perfect her," Tony countered. "She's happy, well, at least up until tonight she was. Now, she's just scared that her mother isn't going to be there to help her through pregnancy, her first child. I get it, I understand—I grew up in New York, I know how society can get—but society isn't going to be there for you at the end of the day like your daughter would be."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the photographs from the ultrasound that were clearly marked _Baby DiNozzo _at the top. "Here. I want you to have these. Consider them the first photographs you'll get of your grandchild. I hope we'll be able to send and give you more. I hope that you'll do the right thing and not shut Leah out for the rest of her life."


	59. Together Again

**Warnings:** Slight spoilers for "Last Man Standing"

**A/N:** Gotten some of my writing mojo back. Hope you enjoy this next installment! I still have not decided the gender of the baby yet, might be a few chapters before we learn what Tony and Leah are having :) **Thanks everyone for your feedback so far, I appreciate it! **

**E-** _You'll see what happens with Leah's mom._

* * *

Her unstable hormones had not balanced out by Sunday morning. Leah had unfortunately discovered that her clothes were starting to get tight when she was already emotional thanks to her less than stellar encounter with her mother the day before.

Tony tried to tell her that she looked fine but she glared at him through tears and wailed that she was fat. He'd hoped that taking her out to brunch was going to help her relax a little but apparently it had not been that great of a suggestion, seeing how it had led them to this very moment of a meltdown over what to wear. Tony wondered if this was what it was like to live with a teenage girl and God help him if they were having a daughter...

Leah flopped down onto the bed and curled up into a ball, sobbing. She was wearing nothing but a pair of underwear and a bra; she had a faded blue dress clutched in her hand. "I don't even fit into my fat clothes anymore!"

He wasn't going to touch the subject of her _fat _clothes, because even when she was soaking wet he often wondered if she weighed more than 105 pounds. It would probably be best if he approached this delicately, like he would a dangerous suspect. "You're not fat," Tony said, softly, "You're pregnant. There's a difference."

"Okay, fine, tell that to my jeans," Leah threw at him, sitting up and wiping the tears from her eyes. "It's all the same to them!"

"Maybe after brunch we can head over to the mall to get you some maternity clothes," Tony suggested.

"Wonderful! Those are going to make me feel _so _much better!"

"Sweetheart... I'm trying here... I really am..."

Leah's eyes grew wide and she gasped. "I'm sorry! I know you're just trying to help! I didn't mean... I didn't mean to be terrible to you!"

Tony took a deep breath to calm himself and went to the dresser. He found a knit top that would probably stretch and a skirt with an elastic waistband. "Here, put these on and we'll go to brunch."

She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Quietly she pulled the clothes on, found a pair of old flip-flops and grabbed her purse. A sad, forlorn look came over her face. "I really thought my mom was going to be here so we could go shopping for maternity clothes."

He clenched his jaw. Apparently his talk with her mother last night had done nothing. "I may have no idea what is fashionable for a pregnant woman, but I don't mind taking you shopping."

"You really don't think I look fat?" Leah asked, still sniffling.

"I think you look pregnant and are absolutely beautiful," Tony replied, leaving a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Even when I'm a hormonal mess?"

"Even then, bella."

Leah gently reached out and took his hand. With a deep, heavy sigh, she told him she was ready to go. Tony gave her hand a squeeze, found the keys to the car, and led her through the apartment. He gestured for Copper to join them and the dog obliged with a happy bark. Once on his leash, Copper wagged his tail furiously and licked at Leah's free hand begging her for some attention.

Tony chuckled when she gave into the pup and his tail moved even faster. Copper had not been sure of what to make of Leah lately. She was obviously changing in more ways than one and he was a smart dog. He knew something was off with his humans. Tony could only imagine what his reaction was going to be to the baby when the baby arrived.

Outside they headed towards their car parked down the street. Copper pulled on his leash more and more excited to be going out for a drive. He loved getting in the car as much as he loved his morning jogs with Tony.

"Ah! Good, we didn't miss you!" a cheery voice called out behind them. They turned to see Leah's parents getting out of a taxicab. "I was afraid you had already gone!"

"Just leaving now," Tony assured him, feeling Leah tense by him. Copper yapped a greeting to John and let his granddaddy rub his belly. "Are you going to join us, sir?"

"Yes," Katherine replied, gently. "John and I had a good, long talk last night after you left, Anthony. My daughter and my grandchild should always come first."

Leah glanced at Tony. She had been unaware that he had gone to see her parents last night. "I never wanted to ruin all your plans, Mama. I know you worked hard... I know how much this meant to you..."

Katherine gestured for Leah to come to her. Letting go of Tony's hand, Leah walked into her mother's embrace and sobbed out all her fears. Katherine ran her hand through her daughter's hair, listening to her cry about how she wasn't ready to be a mother, how unprepared she felt because the pregnancy had taken her by surprise. The older woman laughed, sadly, "Leah, no matter how much you think you should be prepared, you never are. You just have to try and do your best... something I haven't done as of late."

"It wasn't always like that," Leah whimpered. "Not when we were little."

"Life was easier when you were all little," Katherine confessed. "Your father and I did not have as much standing power in Boston like we do now."

"All those old biddies are going to hate you because I got pregnant," Leah cried, burying her face against her mother's shoulders.

"Good," John snapped, "Never liked them anyways."

"John," Katherine scolded him. "Those old ladies mean nothing, Leah, not anymore. Your father and I want to be here for you. Let them talk. My grandbaby is more important than they are and their stuffy opinions."

Tony could see the tension leaving Leah's shoulders even from where he stood at a short distance away. He felt instant relief that his talk last night had worked, something he had said resonated with Katherine, or at least with John, and John was able to turn his wife. Either way, Katherine wasn't going to shut out Leah. "Are you ladies hungry? I know this great little place that serves brunch..."

Leah nodded and pulled back from her mother, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Yes. I'm starving. Mama, after brunch do you think you can take me shopping, for maternity clothes? Tony said he would go but I... I'd rather go with you."

Katherine saw the slightly wounded look in Tony's eyes. "Maybe... we can all go together, honey. Your father and I have a flight tomorrow morning and we came to spend the weekend with the two of you. Anthony has done a wonderful job of taking care of you and the baby. I'd like to get to know him more."

"Do we all need to go shopping?" John whined, slightly as Tony's cell phone rang. "Anthony and I will have much more fun golfing or going to a game..."

"Ah... I'm going to have to cancel," Tony said, handing the dog's leash to his wife. "Duty calls."

* * *

Tony pulled his car up to the crime scene and shut it down. He watched through the windshield as the NCIS "B" team as Abby was calling it, milled about. No wonder Gibbs had doubts about this team. None of them looked like investigator material. Then again, if anyone could whip those agents into shape it would be Gibbs.

He didn't think that was Vance's intention when he reassigned the MCRT. In fact, Tony knew it wasn't the Director's intention. McGee had told him so. He also knew that this damn embezzlement case was going to lead him back to the Navy and NCIS. Sighing, he climbed out of the car and slammed the door shut. He showed the cop his badge and ducked underneath the crime scene tape.

"Anthony," Ducky greeted while he gathered his things up and ready to transport back to NCIS, "What are you doing here on a Sunday?"

"I'm afraid that your murder victim has been under investigation with the FBI," Tony pointed out, sternly. "Where's Gibbs?"

"Probably hiding from the _B _team," Ducky said with a slight smile.

Tony nodded and headed inside the house, away from the agents watching him. Sure enough, Gibbs was standing in the living room taking notes. "Looks like we're going to be working together," the FBI agent announced.

Gibbs looked up from his note taking. "Knew you would be showing up. I thought your in-laws were in town? Or is that why you're here? To get away from them."

"Believe me, my in-laws maybe no picnic but I'd rather be spending the morning at brunch with them and my wife," Tony said, "No offense, Gibbs."

"None taken. Wish you could be with Leah as well," Gibbs replied, closing his notepad and putting it in his pocket. "They know about the baby?"

"Yes, they know about the baby."

"And?"

"Let's just say it was a rocky start to their relationship with their grandchild."

Gibbs sighed. Right now the baby was the least of their concerns. "So," he said, "What can you tell me about Petty Officer Vargo?"

Tony pursed his lips together. "Not much, other than he was stealing money from the Navy."

"Why?" the NCIS agent asked, voice dark.

"Don't know," the other man replied, with a slight smile, "Guess that's what _we _need to find out."


	60. Ties

**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Last Man Standing"

**A/N:** Small little update, but it has been awhile so I wanted to give you something :). Thanks to all my lovely readers that have stuck around this long for this story, not sure how many more chapters it is going to be but hope it will be a fun ride for you all!

* * *

The stench of decay had permeated his clothing. Tony noticed it as soon as he left the run-down little house and got back into his car. It immediately went to battle with the tropical smelling air freshener that his wife had provided for him. He was going to have to find that bag of clothes he kept in the back before going home. Walking into his apartment smelling like death and the tropics was not going to go over well... especially since Leah seemed to be super sensitive to every little smell since she got pregnant. Anything could make her sick.

Something else was bugging him though, too, and not just the smell of his clothes. Tony knew very little about Daniel Keating, but he did know Michelle Lee, and she had been acting strange at the crime scene the moment he had arrived. Tony was pretty sure that Gibbs had noticed it as well—it would be pretty hard not too. Michelle had always been a bit of an anxious person but today she had been squirrely.

He sighed and ran a hand over his face. Tony was hoping once their paths crossed that NCIS would have more for him, but apparently, they were just as in the dark as the FBI was. No one had any clue as to why Vargo was stealing money from the Navy and their other suspect had died in a bombing overseas. _Great, this is going so well, _he thought as he started his car up. They were going to have to contact Ziva and Mossad. It was time that they learned what really happened in that nightclub.

* * *

Ziva David still had a bandage over her eye, reminding everyone in MTAC that she'd had a narrow brush with death just a few months before. "Gibbs," she greeted the NCIS agent with a smile. "It's good to see you."

Gibbs could feel Tony's eyes on him. The younger man was hanging in the shadows, listening and observing. "It's nice to see you, too, Ziva. We've seen the raw feed from ZNN a few months back from that nightclub bombing you were involved in. Think someone that the FBI was investigating was killed that night as well in the explosion."

"Yes, Director Vance made us aware that a man under investigation was killed," Ziva freely admitted.

"Were you aware that he was under investigation _while _you were at the nightclub?" Gibbs asked sensing that she was withholding information.

Tony watched as Ziva nervously glanced behind her. _So, she isn't alone. And she doesn't want to talk to us in front of who she's with, _he concluded. Their cases were connected, her lack of speaking about it confirmed it for him.

Gibbs seemed to be making the same connection. "Did Director Vance send you back to Israel for a reason?"

"You would have to talk to Director Vance about that, Gibbs," Ziva answered. "The information is classified."

"Classified?" Tony snapped, standing up and striding into her view. "Two dead bodies over an embezzlement case is classified now? What's really going on here, Ziva?"

Ziva crossed her arms over her chest, defensively. "You are a team leader, Tony. I am sure that you have the clearance to go and find out for yourself. Mossad was operating well within our means."

Tony clenched his jaw. Within their means? Did Mossad even have those? He wondered. "So, you admit that you were in Morocco on information that Director Vance gave you about our dead guy? And if that's the case, why can't you tell us what Mossad was investigating him for?"

"He was being investigated for terrorism, Agent DiNozzo," a male voice said. "And I suggest that you keep the FBI's nose out of it."

"No offense, Director David," Tony snapped as Ziva's father came into view, "But part of my job at the FBI is to stop terrorism."

Eli David came into view, a menacing presence, but Tony was not about to back down. Eli was a bully and Tony was not about to stand down when it came to bullies. "My daughter said you could be an arrogant bastard, Agent DiNozzo. You and the FBI do not scare me."

Tony squared his shoulders. If Ziva's father thought he could use intimidation tactics with him, well, Ziva hadn't informed her father honestly about him. "And you don't scare me," he snapped, "Seems we're at an impasse, Director David."

Gibbs grabbed Tony by the shoulder and pulled him back, slightly. "If there is a threat of a terrorist attack, here, Director David, the FBI needs to be informed. We're all fighting the same war, Eli."

"When the time comes, Agent Gibbs, I will inform Director Vance," Eli snapped, ending the transmission.

"Well, he's pleasant," Tony quipped to the darkened room. "Can see why Ziva never talked about him."

"Ah, he's just doing his job, DiNozzo."

"Yeah, and I'm trying to do mine."

Gibbs tossed his former senior field agent a hard look. "Tony, you don't want to mess with Eli David."

Tony glared at his former boss. "If this leads to innocent people dying, how are you going to feel, Gibbs?"

"I would feel awful, but not as bad as I would feel if _you _ended up dead. You have Leah and the baby to think about now, Tony."

"Leah fully understands the dangers of this job."

"She can understand it but it wouldn't make it any easier on her, Tony, if you didn't come home to her."

Taking a deep breath, Tony shoved his hands into his pockets. "Being married makes this job even harder, Gibbs. Before there was no worrying if I died out there that someone back home would be grieving. Now... Leah and the baby deserve stability and I can't give them that, not all the time."

Gibbs sighed knowing exactly how the younger man felt. He'd been there before. "Go home, DiNozzo. There's nothing more you can do here for the day. Abby's going to be working on the forensics for hours. Spend that time with Leah."

He hesitated for a second, but Tony turned on his heel and left MTAC. There was no denying that he was happy to be going home, but there was also no denying the pit he felt in his stomach after talking with Mossad. This was not the last time they would be dealing with them.

* * *

"Is that strawberry rhubarb pie I smell?" Tony asked when he stepped into the kitchen late that evening.

"Yes, my mom and I made it before I took them to the airport," Leah replied as she put some dishes away.

Tony went to stand behind her and wrap his arms around her. He buried his nose in her hair and smiled. "I missed you, bella. Sorry I had to bail on you and your parents. Did everything go okay?"

Leah continued to put the dishes away even with him lodged around her waist. "Yes. My poor dad had to suffer being dragged from store to store to find me proper and fashionable maternity clothes, but he survived. We took him to a sports bar for lunch."

"You and your mother are very smart women," Tony quipped, letting go of his wife and going to pour himself a glass of water.

"Speaking of my mom, she wants to know if we're going to find out what we're having," Leah said, turning to glance at him. "So she can plan the baby shower."

"Do you want to find out what we're having?"

"I don't know. I kind of like the element of surprise, but at the same time it would be nice to know."

Tony put his glass down and watched her closely. "I keep imagining us with a little girl, one who looks just like you."

Leah turned and smiled at him coyly. "You realize that would mean there would be two women in the house that had you wrapped around their little finger?"

"Fully aware and I fully accept that possibility."

"Do you really want a girl?"

Tony reached for her and pulled her close to him. "I want our baby to be healthy, happy, and safe. Regardless if it is a boy or girl." He kissed her temple. "Maybe, we should just wait until the baby arrives to find out. You know, the old fashioned way of doing things."

Leah chuckled and buried her face against his shoulder. "Well, we haven't done anything else the old fashioned way, why should we start now? I mean... everyone finds out these days what they're having."

"I say we should be different then and not find out," he said, smiling into her soft hair. "I kind of like surprises."

"Alright, I'll tell my mom to go with the green, yellow, and teal theme," she responded, hugging him tightly. "I like this kind of surprise too."

Tony kissed her cheek and took her by the hand. "Come on, let's go watch a movie and eat some of that pie. I missed dinner."

Leah laughed and let go of him. She went to cut him a slice of the pie and then pulled some left-overs from the fridge, heating them. She brought them to her husband sitting on the sofa and snuggled into his warm embrace while he ate and they watched one of their favorite movies.


	61. Hunch

**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Last Man Standing"

**A/N:** Hope everyone is well, haven't heard from some of you in a while :) Also hope you enjoy this update!

* * *

Sneaking into her father's office was common practice for Ziva. She had been doing it for years. It had been a while since she had done this but her father questioning her loyalty to him had set off warning bells. What was her father _really _planning?

Ziva quietly made her way towards Eli's desk. It was neat and tidy. Nothing out of place, just like she expected. Her father liked things neat and tidy and when things got messy he made sure to clean them up. After speaking with Gibbs and Tony the day before she was beginning to feel that her father had a mess that he needed to clean up... perhaps putting the lives of her former team in danger.

There was one folder on Eli's desk. Ziva flipped it open. Two photographs were clipped to it—Tony's personnel photograph with the FBI and Leah's driver's license. Ziva felt her stomach twist into knots as she read the file that had been collected on Tony and Leah. Her father liked to know what he was up against. She had no doubt that there was a file for Gibbs and McGee in her father's desk... but her brain kept swirling around one word on the DiNozzos' file—pregnant. Leah was pregnant.

"You did not know," a voice said entering the room behind her, "about Agent DiNozzo's family?"

"I knew that he got married," Ziva replied, looking at Michael. "But I was not aware that he was expecting a baby."

"It does not change anything," Michael told her, leaning against the wall. "Agent DiNozzo was never going to be yours, Ziva."

Ziva swallowed the bile in her throat. She had known that Tony was never going to be hers a long time ago but there was a small part of her that had hoped the marriage did not happen, that Tony was no longer with Leah... now it seemed that he was not just with Leah... he was building a life with her. She wiped tears from her eyes. "Why is my father reading up on Leah DiNozzo?"

Michael crossed his arms over his chest. "He needs to know his opponent, is this case, Agent DiNozzo, and he needs to know that opponent's weaknesses. It did not take him long to figure out that information. Leah is Agent DiNozzo's weakness. You and I both know that your father will exploit that weakness if Agent DiNozzo interferes."

* * *

Coffee and a cheese Danish was waiting for him on his desk when he arrived to work the next morning. Tony smiled at his visitor even before he _saw _the visitor. "Hey, McGee, what can the FBI do for you this beautiful fall morning?"

Tim looked up from the chair adjacent to Tony's door and frowned. "Found some phone calls between Michelle Lee and Vargo. He called her at NCIS back when she was working in Legal."

"So before she was transferred back to the MCRT," Tony surmised. Tim nodded. "Do you think it's connected to the case?"

"I don't know. Why else would Vance assign Lee to Gibbs' new team if he didn't think she was the mole?" Tim asked, somewhat rhetorically.

Tony was confused. Mole? What was Tim talking about? "A mole? Sorry, I'm not following you, Tim."

Tim winced. "Vance reassigned myself, Ziva, and Langer to put together a new team—one that he believed any of them could be committing treason."

He paused eating his pastry and frowned. Tony knew that something was up with Lee yesterday when he saw her at the crime scene but he didn't think it was _this _bad. "Have you talked to Gibbs yet?"

Sighing, Tim shook his head. "Vance told me not to talk to Gibbs. I know he's going to come see me today. The calls are going to be discovered by Abby and then he'll find out that I've been keeping tabs on those agents for months..."

"Are you asking for pointers on how to deal with the wrath of Gibbs?"

"Pointers probably wouldn't hurt."

Tony chuckled as his phone rang. Glancing down at the caller ID he noticed that it was NCIS calling. "Speaking of the devil—bet Gibbs is looking for you now." He picked the phone up with a smile, "DiNozzo. Yeah... he's here. Yes, Gibbs... I'll send him back."

Tim watched as Tony hung the phone up and gave a little shudder. "Even when I'm not on the team he knows where I am. It's a little uncanny how he can do that... like he has ESP or something."

"Better get going, Timmy," Tony teased him. "Or Gibbs will be down here knocking down my door."

"Yeah, you're right," Tim said, rising to his feet. "Thanks, Tony..."

"For what exactly?"

"Listening. It's been a rough four months having to keep all of this to myself."

Tony had been fortunate that he hadn't been at NCIS for any of this shake up. He could only imagine how he would have fared on an agent afloat assignment, especially when his wife back home pregnant. "Things will get better once we find the mole, Tim. Trust me."

Tim simply nodded his head and left. The deeper they got into this case the less he felt like things were getting better.

* * *

Gibbs was beyond frustrated. This case had been going nowhere and fast, until about an hour ago when they'd blown the entire case open. The only bit of information they had and needed was from Langer, after Tim had used the agent afloat to access information that he was having trouble accessing in emails their victim had sent.

Finding out that Domino was being put on the market was startling, gut wrenching, and he found himself pacing outside of the coffee cart later that day. Fornell and Tony were supposed to meet up with him...

"What do you possible need me for?" Fornell snapped, breaking his thoughts, "Thought this was why I hired DiNutso, to deal with you?"

"Can't always deal with him alone, Toby," Tony joked with a cheeky grin. "Besides, he called _both _of us."

"Tony and I have been working this case together, Tobias," Gibbs pointed out, gritting his teeth. "But we have bigger issues than just a mole."

Fornell glanced at Tony. The younger agent had informed him what was going on with his embezzlement case and Gibbs' homicide, how they were connected and how it was leading to a mole in NCIS. Yet, he still wasn't sure why _he _was here. "Bigger issues? What bigger issues?"

Gibbs took a long sip of his coffee, finished it, and threw the empty cup out. "How about the possible sale of Domino?"

Tony's eyes grew wide for a second. "No wonder Mossad was involved—that poses all kinds of threats to Israel. Huh, guess I really shouldn't have ruffled Eli David's feathers so much yesterday."

"Is Eli David aware that the mole was plotting to steal Domino?" Fornell asked, not surprised Tony had ball-busted the director of Mossad.

"Vance was speaking with him before I left," Gibbs said. "I've got three potential suspects back in my squad room but not one of them feels like a mole."

"Anything we can do to help?" Tony inquired.

Gibbs handed his a stack of folders. "Yeah. Look through these. See what I'm missing and find my mole."

Tony frowned at the folders in his hand but before Fornell could argue that it wasn't their job, he affirmed, "Okay. I'll see what I can do. But I'm not making any promises."

Fornell shook his head and turned to go, just as Tony asked, "Hey, Gibbs, whatever happened to those legal phone calls Vargo made?" The Senior FBI agent turned to see the former marine's eyes narrow slightly.

"How did you know about that?"

"McGee."

"Lee spoke to him. He needed legal advice."

Tony now turned to go, flipping open the first folder. "Sounds like you found your mole," he said before walking away.

Gibbs couldn't stop the proud little smile on his face as Tony walked away. NCIS was missing him, Gibbs was thankful that Tony was just willing to help them we needed.

* * *

"Hi sweetheart," Leah greeted him when got home that night. "Celeste and I were just getting a list together of things we'll need for the baby."

"See you ladies ordered Chinese food," Tony said, closing the door behind him. "Is that settling well with your stomach?"

Leah smiled at him sweetly. "Yes. I'm fine. I haven't felt sick to my stomach all day. The doctor says that my morning sickness should lessen now that we're in the second trimester. Which is good because I've been craving Pork Fried Rice all week."

Tony loosened his tie and sat down at the dining table with his wife and Celeste. He noticed the catalogs of baby items on the table and a legal pad with Leah's handwriting with the things that she wanted... "We're going to need a bigger place if you want all that stuff."

Celeste chuckled. "It's not so much wanting the things, Tony, it's needing these things. Babies need a lot!"

"Don't worry, honey," Leah said, leaning over and kissing his cheek, "We'll find space for all this."

"I'm glad you're confident we will," Tony said, reaching for one of the containers of Lo Mein. He served himself a healthy portion. "So, did you have a good day ladies?"

Leah smiled. "It was okay."

Celeste glared at her, playfully. "Okay? They approved her dissertation. She's getting her PH.D in May. I'd say that's better than okay!"

Tony grinned at her and kissed her. "That's great! I'm proud of you, bella. See, I told you that you could do it. Smartest lady I know!"

"You could do it too, Tony," Leah encouraged him.

"What would I do with a PH.D?" Tony questioned. "I like my job. I like being an agent." He cocked an eyebrow. "Are you trying to get me out of the field?"

Leah's eyes widened, slightly. Celeste cleared her throat and mumbled that she was going to clear the plates. When she had left the table, Leah sheepishly lowered her chin and whispered, "I just... I worry about you, Tony. I don't want... I don't want to lose you... and the baby... I don't want the baby to lose its father."

Tony reached out and grabbed her hand. He brought it to her lips and gave it a soft kiss. "Would it make you feel better if I told you I've thought about what else I could do besides being a field agent?" She looked at him, surprised. He chuckled. "I worry about those things too, bella. I don't want to leave you or the baby and some days I realize that the only way I can do that is if I remove myself from the field."

She smiled, gently. "I feel a little better," Leah said as his cell phone rang.

He dug the phone out of his pocket and still holding onto his wife's hand, answered, "Gibbs. Was my hunch right?"


	62. Something Is Off

**Warnings:** Slight spoilers for Season 6

**A/N:** Hello everyone, it's been a while since I updated this story! Enjoy!

* * *

"Huh," Tony said as he looked down at the body on the autopsy table. "This isn't who I was expecting. Lee shot him?"

"You seemed surprised by that, Anthony," Ducky said as he worked on the body of the dead NCIS agent—Todd Mann.

Tony shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. "You were here when she was on my team—she never pulled her weapon, never even saw her shoot it. Felt like she was afraid of the gun. Another trained agent pulls his weapon on her and she finds the courage, suddenly, to fire... not buying it."

Ducky sighed and nodded his head. "Seems you are not the only one that shares the sentiment, Anthony. I got the impression that Jethro didn't believe it either. But all evidence suggests that it was Mann that was the mole and killed Vargo. So, I will make sure you get a copy of that autopsy report. You didn't need to come all the way down here to check on me. I am sure you have a lot of other work to do at the FBI."

He smiled warmly at the medical examiner. Tony felt a ping of nostalgia as he looked at Ducky. "Been a while since I saw you, Ducky. Don't you want to catch up?"

Pausing, Ducky looked up at Tony. "And what is it exactly that you want to catch up on, Anthony?" He saw the younger man's eyes flicker to the table. "Anthony, is everything all right? You seem... pensive."

"Been thinking a lot about me on that table. Guess a wife and a baby on the way will do that to you," Tony replied, honestly.

"While I cannot say for certain that you will not be on my table at some point... I can say that you shouldn't live your life in _what ifs,_" Ducky said.

Tony smiled and glanced at his watch. "As fun as this has been, Ducky, I need to get back to the FBI— I'm sure there will be some other bad guy I have to deal with before the day is over." He turned on his heel with a wave and made his way to the elevator. Getting inside he sighed and hit the button for the main floor. He had no idea what was going to be waiting for him back at the FBI. He had been at NCIS most of the morning, signing off on reports and debriefing. The mole had been caught and dealt with, lying on a morgue table now...

Before reaching its destination the elevator stopped on the armory floor. Tony glanced up to see Ziva step onto the elevator with him. For a second neither one of them spoke. Tony slid over to give her some space and he finally found his voice. "So, you've been reassigned to D.C."

Ziva swallowed and hit the button to close the doors. "You get orders, Tony, and you follow them."

"You don't sound so happy to be back here."

"Like I said you get orders and you follow them."

Tony suddenly understood. "You left someone behind in Israel," he stated.

Ziva didn't confirm nor deny it. She glanced at him, swiftly, and replied, "I heard from Abby that Leah is pregnant. Congratulations. You must be excited."

He chuckled. "Anxious mostly. It's a big change for not only me but for Leah as well."

She sighed and looked at her feet, thinking about that report on her father's desk. Ziva swallowed her hurt as the elevator dropped them both off at the main floor. She stepped out first, feigning a smile when Abby shouted her name. Escaping into Abby's hug away from Tony, Ziva tried not to give her father's digging around for information on Leah a second thought.

Tony gave Michelle Lee a simple nod of his head and a "nice job, Probie," before following Ziva. Something was up with her and it wasn't just the man she had left behind in Israel. There was something she was holding back from him because she could barely make eye contact with him in their short elevator ride.

Gibbs might have noticed Tony's pensive look but he didn't comment on it. He was just happy that he had McGee and Ziva back on his team—he could work on Vance to get Langer reassigned as well. "Heading back to the Hoover Building?" he questioned.

"Yeah," Tony said, reaching out and shaking Gibbs hand. "Nice working with you again, Gibbs, but let's not make this too much of a habit."

"I make no promises, DiNozzo," Gibbs quipped with a smile.

Tony laughed, silently and headed back towards the elevator. "Yeah," he whispered, "I somehow doubt this is the last you'll see of me."

* * *

Ziva needed time away from the office. She was pretty sure Gibbs knew she had not told Tony about her father's file on Leah, so when Abby asked her to go to lunch so they could catch up Ziva jumped at the chance.

Abby picked a cute little café downtown. It was filled with college students being near George Washington University and crowded. They found a table in the back and squeezed in. Abby immediately started to talk, filling Ziva in on all that she had missed while in Israel. "Do you believe it? Tony's going to be a father! I thought McGee was joking when he told me that... but Tony is so excited. It's rather cute."

"I am happy that he is happy," Ziva said, anxiously. "It appears that he finally got everything he wanted."

"Something wrong?" Abby asked.

Ziva shook her head. "No. I guess I am just adjusting to being back in America, that's all."

Abby wasn't sure she bought it but she wasn't going to push it. So, she smiled and asked, "Tell me about this new guy you're seeing... Michael, right?"

* * *

Following a relatively quiet day, Tony picked up dinner from Leah's favorite Thai restaurant on her request and headed home. He was still slightly concerned about Ziva's behavior that morning but he couldn't put a finger on why—and it was starting to bother him.

"Hi sweetheart," Tony greeted, opening the door to their apartment. "I got the Thai food you wanted."

Copper scampered out from the kitchen to greet him, tail wagging madly. Tony reached down and scratched the door behind the ears as he kicked the door shut. Turning, he locked the apartment up and went to find his wife in the kitchen. She was standing on the footstool clearing a shelf. "Leah? What are you doing?"

Leah didn't look at him, her head still shoved into the cabinet. "I'm getting a spot ready for the baby's bottles and things. My mother suggests that we keep formula on hand just incase I have trouble pumping breast milk. Oh, and lots of different kinds of baby food."

Tony put the bag of take-out down onto the counter. "Okay but the baby isn't going to need baby food for months after he or she is born. We could have cleared the shelf out then, bella."

"I want to be ready," Leah argued. She moved out of the now empty cabinet and smiled at him. "We're going to have plenty on our minds once the baby comes, so we don't need a self to worry about."

"Alright, fair enough," Tony surrendered. "Why don't you get down from that stool and come have some dinner?"

"Tony, are you alright?" she asked as she climbed down from the stool. "You seem... different tonight."

"Different?" he repeated, cocking an eyebrow. "What do you mean by different?"

Leah frowned at him. "Quieter."

Tony looked away with a soft smile on his face. "Guess I had a weird day—that's all, bella. Let's talk about yours."

"Well, the University called and I spoke to the department head of the archeology department."

"Did he like your work on Native American villages in Virginia?"

"Loved it. He offered me a job starting next summer. One of his professors is retiring and there's going to be an opening."

He smiled at her when he saw the excitement in her eyes. She loved her job as a curator, but it was her dream to become a professor so she could go on digs and teach. "And I assume that you're going to take that job..."

She beamed and nodded her head. "Yes, I took the job. I'll only have to work four days a week and I can be home with the baby on my day off. I'll have my own office and I can write the syllabus for the courses I'm teaching. I'm... a little nervous about those big lecture halls though..."

Tony reached out and pulled her close, kissing her softly. "You'll do great. I have absolute faith in you."

Leah smiled, shyly at him. "You'll let me practice a lecture on you? And you won't fall asleep?"

"I always enjoy listening to you ramble about your work. You're animated and enthralling and adorable."

"Being adorable isn't going to help me teach my students."

"No, but I can tell it isn't going to hurt keeping those fraternity brothers paying attention."

"Very funny."

He chuckled and pulled her in for a kiss again. Tony let one hand slide down her body and rub her growing belly, gently. "I think we should have dinner. I'll pour you a glass of sparkling cider and myself some wine to celebrate."

She scrunched her nose up in mild disgust as he went to get their drinks. Leah sighed and brought the food to the table. "I'll be happy when I can drink the real stuff again."

Tony smiled, broadly at her. "Don't worry. There are other ways we can celebrate tonight that do not involve alcohol."

Leah tossed him a slight glare. "Anthony. Celebrating in that fashion, a little too much, got me pregnant earlier than we planned."

"Ah, but sometimes the best things in life are the ones that are not planned," Tony countered, looking at her lovingly.

"And sometimes they aren't," Leah replied.

He grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Well, in this case, bella, it was the best," Tony said.

She smiled and pulled him towards the table so they could sit down and eat. "Yes, I agree. In this case—it was the best," Leah replied with a smile reminding him why he loved her so much.


	63. Gray Area

**Warnings:** Slight spoilers for "Cloak" and "Dagger"

**A/N:** Hello everyone, it's been a while since I updated this story! I hope that you enjoy it!

**amaia- **_there's some angst in this chapter that doesn't involve Leah ;) _

* * *

Tobias Fornell did not envy Tony's position at the moment, not even a little bit. He watched as Tony's team headed out the door and got into a car—on their way to the Navy Yard and one of the biggest cases to generate buzz around Quantico. Everyone was talking about Michelle Lee...

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. When the news broke that a federal agent had shot another federal agent on a city bus it was almost certain around the building that the FBI was going to be called in to investigate. Tobias had prepared himself for his team to be called. He had been rather shocked it had been Tony—until he learned that it was Gibbs being investigated and Lee that was the one that was dead.

Ever since Tony had taken the job at the FBI it seemed that handling NCIS and Gibbs had fallen onto him. And, Tobias concluded, for good reason. Tony had a better handle on those agents than anyone else at the Bureau. Sipping his coffee, Tobias watched as Tony's car pulled away from the building. Yeah, he didn't envy DiNozzo one bit.

* * *

Tony rode the elevator up to the bullpen with Greg and Debra, silently. This really wasn't how he wanted to start the day. He understood that an investigation needed to take place because a federal agent had been involved in a fatal shooting, but why did that investigation have to fall on him?

Even thought he had asked the question, he knew why. He had been told why when the Director of the FBI had given him the case. _You seem to have a way with NCIS, Anthony. _Funny, how it took leaving NCIS, for Tony to gain a way with them. He certainly did not have it when he was employed there. Once again he found himself thinking about Rota, Italy, perhaps he should have taken a post further away from Gibbs and his team...

"Do you believe these reports?" Greg suddenly asked, interrupting the silence. "Agent Lee was actually betraying the United States."

"Must be some truth to it," Tony said. "Otherwise, why would Gibbs have shot her?"

"So, she did do it to save her sister?" Greg inquired. "Poor kid. She has to live with that for the rest of her life."

Tony took a deep breath as the doors opened. Being a father-to-be had changed his perspective on a lot of things. If he had been given the same choice—betray his country or lose his child—he wasn't sure what he'd do. There did not seem to be an easy answer. "Okay, stay sharp. We have work to do," he told his team quietly as they stepped off the elevator.

Immediately he felt two pairs of eyeballs on him. Tony shoved his hands into the pockets of his dress pants and moved towards the familiar bullpen. "Langer, nice to see you back from your sea tour; Ziva..."

Ziva licked her lips and looked away. "Tony," she said, icily. Turning her back on him, she briefly looked at Langer before continuing her work silently. It had been upsetting to her what had happened to Michelle. "I see you are here to investigate."

"Sorry, Ziva, federal agent shooting and killing another agent requires an investigation," Tony replied. "I didn't ask for this assignment."

"You did not have to take it," Ziva snapped, tears in her eyes. She fought with them as she grabbed a Styrofoam cup from her desk. "This is what you call backstabbing, is it not?" she questioned before stalking away.

Tony clenched his fists and yelled after her, "I'm not stabbing anyone in the back!" _I'm doing my job!_

Langer sighed and swiped some trash from his desk into his trash bin. "Don't worry about it, DiNozzo. Think Ziva took this case too personally... what's that Gibbs' rule again?"

"Rule ten—never get too personally involved in a case."

"Ah, so you remember them?"

"Is the little girl still here?" Tony questioned, changing the subject. He was here to do a job after all, not get caught up in bickering and drama.

"Just like you asked," Langer pointed out. "She's in the conference room with her aunt. Which one of your agents gets a crack at me?"

Tony looked at Debra and Greg. "Flip a coin for it," he said. Not bothering to look back to see what his agents did, Tony ascended the stairs and headed towards the conference room. Knocking on the door he waited until a small voice said he could come in. Opening the door he found a little girl, maybe eight years old, seated at the table with two adults. One he assumed was the child's aunt. "Hi, Amanda," he greeted with a smile. "I'm Special Agent DiNozzo. But you can call me Tony."

As he sat down he noticed the other adult in the room translated what he said. Tony folded his hands in front of him. "I know you've had quite the evening and now morning, but do you think you're up for answering a few more questions?"

Amanda nodded her head while the translator interpreted what Tony had asked her. She timidly glanced at her aunt and the interpreter. "My aunt says I'm moving to New York... that's where she lives with my uncle. Have you been to New York, Tony?"

"I grew up in New York," Tony answered with a smile. "I think you'll like it. There's a lot to do. Did you ever get to go anywhere with Michelle?"

"Mishi worked a lot," Amanda said, sadly. "We went to the zoo once, before the bad men kept me locked in that room."

"Did the bad men ever tell you why they were keeping you in that room?" Tony inquired.

"Because Mishi had information for them," Amanda replied.

Tony's brow furrowed in concern. If bad guys could get to Amanda there was no stopping them from getting to Leah and the baby. Shaking his own fears aside, he continued with his questions. "If you saw a photograph, would you be able to tell me if they were the men that locked you in the room?"

Amanda nodded her head and took a sip of her hot chocolate. She watched as Tony laid out two photographs on the table. Again she nodded, indicating that those were the men that had kidnapped her. "Did you find the bad men, Tony? Are they going to go to jail?"

"We found them," Tony said, with a firm nod of his head. She didn't need to know that both men were now dead. "They aren't going to hurt you anymore."

"What about Agent Gibbs? Is he going to be okay?"

"Agent Gibbs is tough. Don't worry about him, Amanda."

Amanda slid a picture across the table to him. "Can you give this to Ziva for me?" she asked, sweetly.

Tony smiled and nodded. "Sure," he said. Reaching into his pocket he found a chocolate bar. "You did good, Amanda."

Her aunt said something, directed it towards Tony, and the translator interpreted, "She wants to know if it is all right if they go home now?"

Getting to his feet, Tony nodded, "Yes. They can go home, now." He on the other hand had a lot more work to do, which included the unpleasant task of interviewing his former boss.

* * *

Debra was starting to wish that she had gotten Langer instead of Ziva to interview. She found the Mossad officer in the staff lounge, angrily cleaning dishes. "Is it alright if we talk while you're doing that?" she asked, keeping a safe distance.

Ziva turned to glare at her. "Even if I say _no _you are not going to go away. So let us just get this over with, okay?" She slammed the pot she washing down into the drying rack, turned on her heel, and wiped her hands on her pants. "I find what the FBI is doing to be absurd. Gibbs had every right to fire that weapon. He had every right to take out that gunman."

"Yes, but did he have every right to take that gunman out while taking out another federal officer?" Debra questioned.

"What other way was there?" Ziva shot back at her. She angrily crossed her arms over her chest. "The FBI was not there. You should not be sticking your nose in this."

"True, the FBI wasn't there, but this doesn't call for a simple internal investigation," Debra replied. "Agent Gibbs killed two people on a city bus."

"To save others!"

"Agent Gibbs could have disabled the gunman. He could have shot his foot or knee..."

Ziva angrily snarled. "You were not there."

Debra shrugged her shoulders. "Yes, but I'm just telling you how this could look to the IG if this case goes that far."

"It will not go that far," Ziva said.

"Are you sure?" Debra questioned. When she was silent, Debra shifted her questioning. "Where were you when Agent Lee was shot?"

Ziva swallowed. "Langer and I had followed a lead. We found Amanda and rescued her. By the time we made it back to the bar the situation had been dealt with."

Debra took a deep breath. "Situation. Is that all Agent Lee was to you and your team? A situation?"

"Why are you not interviewing the other agents that were there?"

"I will, in time. My orders were to question your team first."

"This is all a waste of time," Ziva hissed. "Am I free to go? I have work to do."

"Actually... I'm not done yet," Debra said, but watched as Ziva began to walk away not even bothering to wait for her answer.

Tony, leaning against the wall, stopped her. "Going somewhere, Officer David? I believe that Agent Slater had more questions for you." He gently took her arm and steered her back into the staff lounge. Ziva yanked it out of his grasp. "Director Vance promised me full cooperation."

Ziva sat down in a chair, disgruntled. "I have nothing let to say to you or to Agent Slater. I believe that Agent Gibbs acted well within his means. He did what was right."

Debra watched closely as Tony sat down. The lead agent leaned forward and stated, "Perhaps, if this had happened in Tel Aviv." Both FBI agents saw Ziva react to that, visibly. Tony continued, "This case reminded you of home. It reminded you of Tali. Washington, Ziva, is not Israel. Things are done differently here. And Amanda... is not Tali."

She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "We would not be having this conversation if Gibbs had only disabled that gunman and more people died," Ziva whispered. "It does not matter if this is D.C. It does not matter that Amanda is not Tali. What mattered was making sure Domino did not fall into the wrong hands."

"And Michelle Lee's life? Did that matter?"

"Tony, do not be ridiculous. Of course it did!"

"Okay, just checking because if feels like it didn't."

"You are... meowing up the wrong tree."

"Barking," Tony corrected.

"Am I free to go _now_?" Ziva responded, hotly.

Tony nodded his head. Ziva pushed her chair back so violently that it clanged against the ones behind her and teetered back and forth on it's legs for a second. When she was gone, he turned towards Debra. "Let's go over the witness statements again."

Debra agreed. "Did you get the chance to talk to Gibbs?" she asked.

"Not yet. Obviously we're going to have to approach this situation...delicately," Tony replied.

"Hope Greg's interview with Langer went better than mine with Ziva," Debra pointed out.

"Ziva sees things in black and white," Tony said, with a sigh. "There is no gray area for her."

"Well," Debra said, "That makes things in this case difficult because it certainly is a gray one."


	64. Three Weeks

**Warnings:** Slight spoilers for "Cloak" and "Dagger"

**A/N: **I was going to wait for the site to figure out the problems with reviews and private messaging before posting this, but since it's already been like three days and nothing has changed, I guess I should just go ahead and post. Thanks everyone that left feedback the last time.

**amaia- **_Thank you :) Hope this chapter helps feed the addiction lol._

* * *

Tony weaved his way through the crowd at _D.C Beans. _Far in the corner was Gibbs, sitting with his back straight and watching the FBI agent's every move. Tony swallowed, looked at the girl behind the counter and ordered a hazelnut latte. Gearing himself up for this interview, Tony proceeded to the back table and silently sat down. "Hey, Gibbs," he said, casually.

Gibbs smiled, tightly. "Cut the crap, DiNozzo. I know you're here to ask me questions about the shooting last night. Ziva already called and warned me. Seems she's concerned that I'm going to jail."

"Should you be going to jail, Gibbs?" Tony asked, point blank.

"You always did shoot from the hip," Gibbs remarked. He sipped his coffee. "There was no stopping that gunman. Lee gave me the all clear to shoot her."

"So, that makes it okay?" Tony countered. "Listen, I know I wasn't on that bus and I'm not sure what I'd do in a similar situation... but you have to see how bad this looks."

Gibbs put his coffee cup down. "Of course I see how bad this looks, DiNozzo. I shot another federal agent, on a city bus, with civilian witnesses looking on. As far as the PR departure is concerned—this is a nightmare."

Tony waited until the waitress had walked away after she delivered his latte. "It's a nightmare from any standpoint, Gibbs. If my investigation finds you culpable in Lee's death, I have to file a report with the IG... you know what that means... a lawyer will be knocking on your door. And I know how much you hate lawyers."

He gave one of his paten stares, even though Gibbs knew it would have little affect on Tony. "Just do your job, Tony. I'm not asking you to save me."

His eyes softened for a moment. Tony reached out and wrapped his long fingers around his latte. "Gibbs, you're a good agent. This shouldn't make or break your career."

"Do your job, Tony."

"I don't want to be the one to ruin your career."

"Tony. Just do your job. No matter what happens I won't think less of you."

"Was there another way, Gibbs?" Tony questioned, his eyes filled with so much uncertainty it made Gibbs' heart break. "Could Lee have walked off that bus?"

Gibbs took a moment, sipped his coffee, and then shook his head. "No. It was either Lee and the gunman or everyone else on that bus was going to die."

Tony was afraid he was going to say that. Damn, stubborn, Gibbs; always thinking he'd done the right thing. "What about disabling the gunman? Come on, we've all been trained to do it—why didn't you?"

"To stop him from killing more people on that bus."

"I read the report. His arm was in the air. You could have shot his arm with the gun."

"Do you want an apology, DiNozzo? I did what was asked of me. I did my job!"

Silently, Tony took his latte and stood up. He straightened his coat and glanced over his shoulder, briefly. "No one is doubting that you did your job—we're just wondering if you could have done the job differently."

Gibbs had fire in his eyes as he glared at Tony. "Lee was just as responsible for what happened as that gunman. She was working with him, she was betraying her country to him... is anyone, outside of her family, going to really mourn her, Tony?"

Tony felt his shoulders go stiff. "You think killing Lee to get the gunman was justified?"

"She was a traitor, a loose end that needed to be dealt with."

"Hmmm, yeah, Rule 45. Problem was, Gibbs, Lee wasn't your mess. _I _was the one she worked under when this whole thing started."

Before giving Gibbs the chance to respond, Tony turned on his heel, and left _D.C Beans. _Outside, he took a deep breath of the cold air, and steadied himself for the rest of the day. It was clear that it was going to be him against NCIS—once again.

* * *

After one of the most difficult mornings since he had joined the FBI, Tony found himself in line at his favorite sandwich shop to grab lunch for himself and his team. He'd been in rough situations before, that was a given with the job, but investigating his former mentor was turning out to be one of the roughest. Tony wished that he could grab a nice, ice-cold beer with his lunch. His favorite sandwich was going to have to be enough to get him through the rest of the day—after all he still had numerous interviews to conduct with witnesses.

Grabbing his take-out bag, Tony used his hip to push the door to the sandwich open and turned towards his car parked across the street. Abby was standing there, underneath her black, lace, parasol, looking infuriated. "Oh come on," he muttered under his breath, "can't I get a break?"

Crossing the street and bearing his best smile, Tony stepped up to the car. "Hey, Abby."

Abby resisted the urge to slap him. "Don't _hey Abby _me! Why are you investigating Gibbs? He didn't do anything wrong last night!"

"Orders from the Inspector General, Abby," Tony answered.

"But why did _you _have to take the case?" Abby insisted. "Gibbs is your friend. You should have told them no!"

"My director requested my team. He thought that I would handle the situation more...delicately... than another team," Tony said, defensively.

Abby scowled at him. "This feels like a total betrayal, Tony. You know how good of an agent Gibbs is! Just tell that to the IG! Tell the IG that Lee was a traitor! So wasn't that the gunman! He was going to sell Domino to terrorists, who would have used it against us! Both got what was coming to them."

Tony clenched his sandwich bag in his hand, the smell of Pastrami wafting from it. "Abs, do you really think I want this investigation? No! I'm following orders from my director. The last thing I need is to be suspended without pay because I was insubordinate—I have a baby on the way. I hate that I've been assigned to this case, but sometimes, you get orders that you don't like and still have to follow them."

"Your orders suck. This whole entire investigation sucks," Abby spat angrily. "And is a giant waste time."

"I'm going to do my best, Abs, promise," Tony assured her, "You and I know that Gibbs toes the line though—and others outside of NCIS have taken notice."

Abby's green eyes flared. "Everyone on this job toes the line, Tony. Nothing would get accomplished if you didn't!"

Tony unlocked his car and tossed his lunch inside, suddenly losing his appetite. "Unfortunately, Gibbs probably crossed that line last night. He lied about having Domino, he didn't attempt to disable the gunman before killing both Lee and the shooter. Will it be enough to bring this to a murder investigation? Doubtful. So, you can rest assured that my investigation, at worst, will get Gibbs' some much needed vacation time where he can spend it in his basement working on his boat."

Climbing into the car, he snapped, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an investigation to finish." He slammed the door shut, started the car up, and headed back towards the FBI so he could eat his lunch in relative peace.

* * *

People were crowded everywhere in the local _Whole Foods _and of course, Ziva had to run into Leah in one of those crowded aisles.

It was just her luck that she would run into Leah at the market. Especially after the day she was having. Thanks to Tony's investigation, Vance had all but benched them for several days, citing that they had put a lot of time into the Lee case and that they should go home and rest. Ziva had decided that it was time to take a trip home...

At first, Leah didn't notice her. She was busy trying to navigate the crowded space with her pregnant belly. Ziva thought about quickly exiting the aisle before Leah saw her. It was not going to help her mood if she had to speak to Tony's very beautiful and pregnant wife. But before she could make a decision, she had been spotted. When their eyes met there wasn't the sense of familiarity that normally passed between friends, there wasn't even a sense of familiarity that would pass between acquaintances, Ziva realized.

Not that Ziva could really blame Leah for that, after all one of the last times they saw one another Ziva had been drunk, bitter and jealous of this woman getting what she had wanted from Tony. Nervously, Ziva cleared her throat and said, "Hello."

"Hi," Leah greeted, stiffly. "I'm... I'm surprised to see you here during the day."

"Ah, well, things have been rough. Director Vance thought it would be best if we took some time," Ziva replied. _All because your husband is investigating us, but that is beside the point. _

"You have a lot of snacks in your basket. Are you traveling soon?" Leah inquired, innocently.

"To Israel," Ziva supplied.

Leah must have sensed that Ziva did not want to talk about her upcoming travels. She cast her eyes downward for a second before looking up at Ziva once again with a forced smile. "Well, have a good time in Israel."

Ziva forced a smile onto her face as well. "Thank you," she simply said before dispersing into the crowd. She was glad to be away from Leah, glad to be away from a woman that she really did not like and had absolutely no reason to hate. But she did. It was all because Leah had gotten everything that Ziva had been too chicken to go out and get herself.

Angrily she put some canned items that she would need when she returned from her trip into her basket. Michael had been after her to just come home permenantly but part of her wanted to stay in D.C and create a life for herself here. And, perhaps, there was still a very small part of her that believed she was going to be able to make that life with Tony—or if she could convince Michael to gave up Mossad and come to America. _That would never happen. He is loyal to Aba. _

Sighing, Ziva finished up her shopping and without anymore sightings of Leah, managed to check out and head to her Mini. Shoving the bags into the front seat, she heard her cell phone ring. Glancing at the caller ID she saw that it was McGee. She flipped the phone open. "Yes, McGee, what is it?"

"_I know your flight to Israel leaves tonight but Director Vance wants us all back in the office," _McGee said, tensely. "_Something about the IG. I'm not sure what's going on." _

"Tony must have finished his report," Ziva spat. "And it must not be good news if Vance is requesting that we all return to NCIS."

"_Didn't sound like good news when I spoke to him on the phone." _

"Very well, McGee. I will be there soon."

Ziva snapped the phone shut. She angrily pushed her cart towards a carriage carsoul. It clanged against the others and she turned her back on them. Getting back into her Mini, she started it up and headed back towards NCIS. It appeared that this dreadfully long day was not over yet.

* * *

"Suspended?" Ziva nearly shouted when Vance delivered his news. "For what?"

"After reading Special Agent DiNozzo's report the IG has concluded that Gibbs' acted with excessive force," Vance replied, calmly.

"Of course he did! It was needed!" Ziva angrily threw out. "A gunman was shooting passengers on a public bus!"

"I'm not thrilled about this either, Officer David," Vance stated. "But I promised the FBI and the Inspector General that they would have NCIS' full cooperation. Agent Gibbs will serve out the suspension and return to work in a few weeks. Until then, I suggest that you all take some time yourselves. This last case was personal. I think we could all benefit from a little separation."

Ziva glanced angrily at Langer and McGee, willing one of them to speak up. Neither one of them did. "You agree with this?" she angrily questioned them. "You do not think this is payback from Tony for how Jenny handled the Frog?"

Langer shook his head with a sigh. "Gibbs should have tried disabling Bankston before killing both of them. Listen, Ziva, Gibbs is lucky that Tony managed to talk the IG out of pressing charges. It's a three week suspension, a note in his file, and we all move on from it."

"Director, this is absurd! Bankston was a terrorist!" Ziva yelled. "What good would have come out of disabling him?"

"We could stand here all night and debate this all you want, Officer David," Vance said, "but Gibbs has graciously taken the suspension and gone home. I suggest you do the same. I've approved three weeks paid leave time for all of you—there was quite of bit of back logged overtime in your files."

Getting the sense that they were being dismissed, the three agents left the office. Langer closed the door behind him. He was glad for the three weeks off. It would give Ziva some time to cool off and come back to her senses. It would also mean he could catch up on all that sleep he'd lost the last few months as Gibbs had pushed them harder and harder. Perhaps, he needed to send Tony a _thank-you _note. Quickly he gathered up his things, flipped his desk light off, and turned towards his teammates. "Guess I'll see you in three weeks."

McGee glanced at Ziva. Her arms slid over her chest in a defensive posture. "Yeah. Three weeks off sounds good. Maybe Celeste and I can take that trip we've been discussing but haven't gotten around to it yet. We've been a bit overworked the last few months."

Ziva didn't bother to comment. She turned the light off over her desk and muttered that she had a plane to catch before she left the bullpen in a hurry.

Langer clicked his tongue. "Boy does she have a temper."

"Did you see Gibbs at all before he left?" McGee asked.

"Briefly," Langer replied. "He didn't seem upset."

McGee was surprised. "He didn't?"

Langer chuckled. "Nope. I'd say he looked proud; guess Tony lived up to Gibbs' expectations."


	65. Proud

**Warnings:** Slight spoilers for "Cloak" and "Dagger"

**A/N: **So, I still cannot reply if you have left a signed review. I'm not sure when the site is going to fix this issue since it has already been like five days, I can however view them and read them in emails, go figure! Thanks **shadocat, Meilea2010, DS2010, arctict, ****JENTWCSINYFAN2**, and **VG LittleBear**. Hopefully, I'll get to reply to your thoughts in the coming week :)

**amaia- **_I agree with you, I think Lee wanted Gibbs to kill her too, since she would have gone to jail for the rest of her life. The show just kind of swept her under the rug once it was done and over with. Think it would have been interesting if there had been some kind of investigation into the shooting. _

* * *

Gibbs ran the sandpaper along the spine of his most recent boat. An open bottle of beer stood tall on the workbench, half full—or half empty however you looked at things in life. Since his wife and daughter had died, he'd always been a half empty kind of guy.

Upstairs he heard the front door open and close. Gibbs reached for his bottle of beer and took a sip, listening to the footsteps upstairs. They were too heavy to be Hollis. She was away on work for the D.O.D anyhow—so there was no chance it was her. And judging how the footsteps paused at the top of his basement steps, Gibbs concluded that it was one of two people. "Come on, down, Tony."

Tony proceeded down the stairs, a perplexed look on his face. "How did you know it was me?"

Gibbs just smiled and continued to sand his boat.

"You've been avoiding my calls all afternoon."

"Haven't heard the phone ring."

Tony knew this was a complete lie. He saw the cell phone perched nearby. "Breaking your own rules, Gibbs?"

Gibbs angrily rubbed the sandpaper along the boards. "Is there a reason you've been trying to call me? I can't help you on any case right now. I've been suspended, remember?"

"Listen about that—I'm sorry."

"Who's breaking the rules now?"

"Okay, so maybe I'm not sorry that you've been suspended," Tony said, firmly. "But your actions on that bus warranted one. The IG wanted NCIS to sack you, I managed to convince them that you were obviously burnt out, and that firing you wasn't in NCIS' best interests—so you're welcome for that!"

Gibbs tossed the sandpaper aside. "Are you looking for me to change my mind? That what happened on that bus wasn't the right course of action? Because that isn't going to happen, DiNozzo! I did what _I _thought was right. I did my job. If I spent my entire career second guessing my decisions nothing would ever get done or solved."

Tony shook his head. "You know, until I started working with you, I was told all throughout my training that killing someone was always the last course of action—when all other options had been ruled out or pursued. But you... you were more the shoot first, ask questions later type, Gibbs. It got results. Morrow, then Jenny, and even Vance, have all turned a blind eye to it. Problem is, sooner or later, this is going to catch up to you Gibbs. You're lucky I didn't recommend that you be demoted or go through FLET-C again. Although, I would have _loved _seeing Langer or McGee try to order you around."

He glowered and reached for his beer. Gibbs finished it in one swallow. Slamming the bottle down onto the workbench, he turned his back on Tony. "If Michelle Lee had been a terrorist and not an agent, we wouldn't be having this discussion."

Maybe he was onto something, Tony thought, but after reading all those reports, he just couldn't justify killing Lee. "Your team is out of control, Gibbs. I went over your last few cases. I don't know what's going on, but you better get a handle on things before something really bad happens."

"Are you saying I don't have a handle on things? That I don't have control of my team?"

"You're letting an awful lot slide that you normally wouldn't."

"Can't lose one of my agents like I lost you."

"Do you think I left because you were too hard on me?"

Gibbs shrugged and went to find his bourbon. He poured himself a mason jar and didn't answer. He didn't need too. They both knew that Gibbs blamed himself for Tony making the jump to the FBI. He sipped his drink. "It's late, DiNozzo. Your wife is going to be looking for you."

Tony sighed and proceeded back up the stairs. He knew that this wasn't going to be their last basement fight. He wasn't joking when he told Gibbs that he needed to get a handle on his team. Right now they were breaking small rules, finding loopholes, but it was only a matter of time before their cowboy ways—as Fornell called them—caught up with the team. And then Tony would more than likely be knocking on Gibbs' door once again.

As he reached the top of the steps, Tony heard Gibbs call out, "For what it's worth, Tony. I'm proud of you."

Surprised, Tony looked down into the basement and saw Gibbs smiling, softly, up at him. "For what?"

"You did what was asked of you," Gibbs replied. "You didn't let anyone's opinions sway you. It takes guts do stick to your guns like you did. That made me proud."

"I almost got you fired," Tony said.

"But you didn't."

"I really am sorry, Gibbs."

Gibbs curtly nodded. "I know, Tony."

Tony licked his lips and glanced up the stairs. "I probably should get home... if I'm late Leah does start to worry."

"Better not keep her waiting, if you don't want to sleep on the sofa," Gibbs offered.

"Already sleeping there, Gibbs," Tony said as he left. "Pregnant women seem to like having the whole bed to themselves."

Gibbs could only laugh as he went back to working on his boat and Tony headed home to Leah.

* * *

"Do you wish to torture me with these photographs, Aba?" Ziva snapped, throwing a stack of photos of Leah and Tony onto her father's desk. "I found these last night. Why are you so interested in Agent DiNozzo and his wife?"

"I do not wish to torture you with anything, Ziva," Eli David answered. "Agent DiNozzo is merely another player in the game. If I am going to stay ahead in that game, Ziva, I need to know the other players. This is simply business as usual."

Ziva glared at the photographs of Leah and Tony going to the park, the doctor's office—having a romantic dinner. She knew what her father was doing. He was testing her loyalty to him. Tony and Leah had nothing to do with what Eli really wanted. They were just the pawns. She reached out and threw the photographs off the desk. She had been so angry lately. "Well, they do torture me! It is everything I could have had if I did not need to be loyal to you!"

Eli simply looked at the discarded mess on his floor. "I made things very clear to you when you wanted to join me at Mossad. This job has no room for personal wants and desires. These photographs only torture you because you are letting them torture you. It is too late to second guess your decision to join me now."

"There was no choice once Tali died," Ziva said, silent tears gathering in her eyes.

"And there still is not a choice, Ziva," Eli replied. "Not in this life. Do you think I wanted my marriage with your mother to fall to pieces? For my son to end up a dead?"

"Ima had her reasons for leaving," she said, not being able to bring herself to say her brother's name.

Eli reached down and found a photograph. He held it up so she could see Leah and Tony laughing, holding hands as they walked down a street in Georgetown, "Americans have the choice, Ziva. In Mossad—you do not!"

Ziva swallowed her tears. She turned and opened the door to her father's office. "Then I guess, Aba, you have your answer about whether or not I'm loyal to you." With that she slammed the door shut, wanting and wishing to erase all those photographs from her memory—wanting to erase her time at Mossad from her memory.

* * *

Three weeks off had been what Tim needed. He had spent most of it with Celeste, reading, and writing. After surviving Thanksgiving with his family, Tim had returned to work and survived his first week back. Things hadn't quite gone according to plan. The tension on the team was obvious but Tim wasn't sure where it was coming from. He hoped that he'd get a chance to speak to Tony at the party that night.

Celeste leaned over and fixed Tim's tie, smiling at him warmly. "Relax, Timothy," she said with an easy smile. "This isn't the first time we've had dinner with Tony and Leah. It's not the first time we've gone to a party here either. This will be fun."

Tim swallowed the nervous bile in his throat. Already a month had gone passed since Tony had investigated the death of Michelle Lee. Ziva had disappeared to Israel, and Gibbs to his basement. Langer and Tim hadn't seen either one of them until a week ago when Gibbs' suspension was up and Ziva came home from Tel Aviv. "I know we've had dinner with them before, but this is the first time we've had dinner since Tony got Gibbs suspended. What if the boss finds out I came over here? What if Ziva finds out?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Tim," Celeste chided him. She knocked on Tony and Leah's door. "Gibbs and Ziva know that you're friends with Tony. I don't think they'll be upset. It didn't even sound like Gibbs was upset that Tony got him suspended."

"Ziva hasn't been herself since coming back from Israel."

"She just needs to adjust to the time change. Come on, this is a Christmas party! Lighten up!"

Tim shook his head but before he could tell her that he wasn't talking about Ziva's recent trip to Israel that he was talking about when she had been there over the summer the door to the apartment opened.

Leah was standing there in a shimmery, gold, lace dress that accented her growing belly. Her hair was slung back in a low ponytail and curled. She smiled. "You're just in time, Tony is about to open the first bottle of wine."

"First?" Tim repeated as they stepped into the apartment.

"He got a new electric wine opener that he's been dying to try out," Leah replied, laughing. She took their coats and headed towards the bedroom.

Tim glanced around. Years ago Tony never decorated his apartment. Before it was such a bland, uninviting place. Now, it was warm and welcoming. There was a large Christmas tree with white lights, gold, silver, and burgundy accents. Photographs adorned the walls of Tony and Leah's travels, their wedding and her family. The place just had more lived in feel to it since Leah had moved in.

Tony popped out from the kitchen, two glasses of wine in his hand. He nearly shoved them into Tim and Celeste's. "Merry Christmas! Drink up! I've got plenty of wine! Food should be done soon."

Celeste laughed and took her glass, heading to join Leah and the other women. They were gathered around sofa, looking at the latest sonograms from Leah's doctor's appointment and commenting on how big she was getting. Tim knew some of them from Celeste's book groups and study groups, but he didn't know them well enough to go sit with them—and he certainly didn't know the girls' significant others.

Tim peeked into the kitchen to see trays of food waiting for be served. "You went all out this year, huh?"

"Next year there's going to be a baby crawling around. Had to go all out this year," Tony said, handing him his wine. "You seem pensive, Tim. What's on your mind?"

"It's been rough around the office now that the team is back," Tim replied, honestly.

"Rough? How so?"

"Gibbs has been awful quiet, Ziva angry. Langer and I are just doing our best to stay out of their way half the time."

Tony chuckled and sipped his wine. "Listen, Tim. If you ask me, nothing has changed much. You and I were always trying to stay out of Gibbs and Ziva's way."

Tim shook his head. "It feels different this time. I don't know... maybe I need a change."

"You know what kind of change would do you some good? Ask Celeste to move in with you."

"Did she tell you to say that? She's been after me to go apartment hunting with her."

"I'm serious, McGee," Tony said. "You need to get out of that tiny little apartment. I know I good jeweler..."

"Thanks... but... we aren't there yet," Tim said, nervously.

Tony eyed him suspiciously. "Not there yet? You've been together two years!"

Tim felt his palms getting sweaty, like they did every time his mother called and asked if he had proposed to Celeste yet. "I move slower than you."

"I'll say."

"I didn't mean that as an insult."

Tony chuckled again. "I know." He reached out and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Lighten up, Tim! After all, it's Christmas time!"

* * *

_I do plan on including "Silent Night" into this story. __And don't be afraid to leave feedback. I can still read them by email, just not respond to them :)_


	66. Snow and Ice

**Warnings:** Slight spoilers "Silent Night"

**A/N: **Hi everyone! Here is a Sunday treat for you! Enjoy!

**amaia- **_I hope __the writers FINALLY give us Gibbs telling Tony that he's proud before he leaves. I'm hoping that Tony gets his own team. I want to see him happy. I want the team to be happy for him. If there are going to be tears shed when MW leaves I want them to be happy tears lol (and I want the chance for MW to come back for the series finale if he would like)_

* * *

Snow was making travel difficult, the team was hoping to get out for the holidays without a case, and Tim found himself being dragged around to Tony's jeweler. At first Tim was not aware that they were going to the jewelry store for _him_—Tony had mentioned wanting to pick up Leah's gift before their lunch. However, when they arrived, the jeweler was waiting for them with a tray of engagement rings.

Tim glared at Tony, who was standing there grinning from ear to ear. "I thought I told you at your party two weeks ago that I wasn't ready for this?" he snapped, cautiously eyeing the jeweler.

Tony laughed and grabbed Tim by the shoulders. "McGee. Trust me, you do not want to wait. Celeste is a great girl. She makes you happy. Give her the ring already!" He turned Tim towards the tray of rings. "Look! There are lots of shiny, pretty ones to choose from!"

"Yeah, I can see that..."

"Pick one out, Timmy."

"I just don't think..."

"McGee! Don't make me headslap you! I'm out of practice but I think I remember how to do it."

Tim looked at the tray of rings before him. One of the many reasons he had come up with why he had not bought Celeste a ring yet was he didn't know what she would like. It was a lame excuse, he knew it, but he wanted the ring to be perfect. "I don't know which one she'd like."

Tony pulled out his cell phone and hit speed dial. He grinned and held the phone out to his former partner. "I'd thought you'd say that—good thing I'm married to the one person that might know."

He shook his head. Tim didn't want to talk to Leah about this. She would learn that he really wasn't the romantic type, that he really knew nothing about Celeste's personal tastes when it came to jewelry, and then she would report all that back to Celeste. "Tony... I can't talk to Leah!"

"Probie... she doesn't bite."

"What would I say?"

"Ask her what she thinks Celeste would like!"

Tim shakily reached for the phone. "Hello?"

Leah was more than eager to help and she laughed, "_She likes vintage, Tim! She has all that old, vintage jewelry from the twenties she buys at antique shops all the time! Are you going to do it? Are you going to propose? Oh! You should take her to that new restaurant in Baltimore! Tony and I went there for date night! It was great! And romantic!" _

Tony could see that Tim needed saving from Leah. He took the phone back from his former partner, walked away chatting with her about their plans for that night and leaving his friend behind to pick out an engagement ring. When he came back, phone returned to his pocket he found Tim making a purchase. "So... you found one?"

Tim nodded. "Yes, the jeweler had a couple of antique, princess cut rings. He's going to clean it for me and I can come pick it up later tonight."

"Ah, see! That wasn't so hard!"

"It...it really wasn't. Thanks for dragging me here. I really thought we were coming to pick up Leah's gift."

"Are you kidding? I picked that up weeks ago!"

"You did?" Tim inquired. "You were always so last minute... what did you get her?"

"A very pretty, white gold and emerald tennis bracelet," the jeweler said returning with Tim's receipt.

Tim looked at Tony, surprised. "Wow... that had to cost a lot of money!"

Tony shrugged. "I've been saving. Let's face it, the woman married me; she deserves something nice and expensive."

"And she married you after a dangerous, murderous arms dealer was threatening to kill you both," Tim mumbled, putting his receipt and his credit card back into his wallet. "If that doesn't scream true love, I don't know what does."

"Ha, yeah, that's a really good point," Tony said, smiling. "Maybe I should have bought her more than an emerald tennis bracelet. Romantic vacation is out of the question with the baby coming in a couple of months. I still have two shopping days left..."

Tim chuckled as they headed back outside to their car. "I think she's going to be happy with the bracelet, Tony."

Tony grinned as they got into the car. "Guess it's a good thing she's easy to please. I have very little money left."

He looked at his former partner, snow falling and dusting his black trench coat, and it hit him that Tony looked younger. Tim wasn't sure how that was possible because in reality Tony was two years older. He wasn't sure if it was Leah, being out from underneath Gibbs rule, but something had caused the change. _Maybe he's getting work done, _Tim thought, briefly, but then shook his head. Tony had hated needles since he had the Plague.

Noticing that Tim was watching him closely, Tony asked, "Can I help you with something else, Tim?" He didn't look at Tim. He kept his green eyes focused on the road as they drove to their favorite resturaunt for lunch.

"You look younger."

"Younger? Well, that's good. Everyone wants to look younger."

"Do you think if you hadn't met Leah you'd still be with the team?"

Tony had never thought of that possibility, partially because he could not picture his life without Leah. "I don't know. There's no telling what would have happened if I had actually identified the right mark and pursued Jeanne. I'd like to think that everything happens for a reason so, things worked out well, for all of us."

Tim frowned and looked at the flying snowflakes. "I don't know if things worked out well for all us. Something happened to Ziva over the summer, something after that explosion injured her. I think it has to do with her father—Abby thinks it has to do with her boyfriend."

He turned down the street where the restaurant was. Tony knew very little about what was going on in the personal lives of his former co-workers at NCIS. Tim was not the gossiping type when they met up for lunch or dinner. The former NCIS agent saw Palmer every now and then for coffee when he needed help figuring out a problem and Abby would email and call him frequently, however, when it came to Ziva, he knew very little. "Maybe, it's both," Tony said.

A young couple dashed out in front of them, forcing Tony to slow the car down. Tim watched as the couple disappeared into the flying snow. "Tony, when you left NCIS, how did you know it was time?"

"The Director of NCIS at the time was more than likely going to kill me," Tony responded, seriously. He looked at Tim. "Does Vance want to kill you?"

"No. My relationship with Director Vance is good, professional. I think he likes me," Tim said.

"So why do you want to leave NCIS?"

"I never said that."

Tony chuckled and pulled the car into a parking space. "Yes you did. It might not have come out directly, but when you asked if I knew it was time—I figured you were thinking of leaving."

Tim sighed. He could never pull the wool over Tony's eyes. "It probably sounds odd, but I'm staying because I don't know if Gibbs could handle more change. I think Director Shepard's death is having an effect on him; more than he'd like to admit."

"Have you tried talking to him?" Tony asked.

"Are you crazy?" Tim threw back. "Gibbs doesn't talk!"

"Actually, he's quite chatty in his basement with a mason jar of bourbon."

"I'm not sure I could do that—dropping by to chat."

Tony opened his mouth to encourage Tim to do so, when the younger man's cell phone rang. "Gibbs or Celeste?" the FBI agent asked, softly.

Tim sighed. "Gibbs. I better take it. We probably have a case, which means I'll have to take a rain check on lunch."

* * *

Later that day the snow did not let up. Tony sent his team home early and packed up for the night. It was two days before Christmas and he knew that Greg had yet to go out shopping for his girlfriend. If his senior agent didn't show up at Tara's house with a present come Christmas morning, well, Greg was going to be single by New's Year Day.

Tony chuckled as he gathered up his case files, put them in a neat pile for the following morning, and shut his light off. There was a time that Tony had been a lot like Greg—going from girl to girl without a care in the world. Now, he was happily married with a baby on the way. He looked at the framed photograph of Leah on his desk. She was his light in a rather dark, dreary world that he faced everyday being in law enforcement.

Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Tony grabbed his keys and headed outside into the snow. Leah was going to meet him at their favorite restaurant for dinner. She had spent the day meeting with the university about her new job that summer and with the coming holidays, neither one of them wanted to cook.

Outside the snow was really flying and it made driving to the restaurant difficult. Tony worried about his wife in these driving conditions... a simple fender bender could send her into early labor...

He was relieved to find her car parked outside the restaurant with no signs of damage. Tony parked his car behind her, shut it down, and climbed out. He slammed the door shut and locked it up. Shoving his hands into his pockets he headed towards the entrance. Once inside the warm smells of Italian cooking hit his nostrils. It reminded him of summers when he was a child that they would go to Italy to spend time with his father's family. His great aunt's kitchen always smelled like garlic and oregano.

The lobby was busy as usual, but it didn't take him long to find his wife. Leah was chatting with a tall, athletically built man-actually, Tony would venture that she was flirting the way she smiled and titled her head. _What man would flirt with an obviously pregnant, married woman?_ Tony thought, angrily, as he strode towards Leah. "Sorry I'm late," he said, loudly, "I was worried that you would be waiting here alone for a long time, sweetheart." He made it a point to lean down and kiss her, almost possessively. Pulling back he smiled at the shocked expression on her face. "But you're not alone, after all. You have this fine gentleman to keep you company."

"DiNozzo?" a very familiar voice inquired, somewhat harshly, somewhat surprised.

"Kemp," Tony muttered, turning to see the familiar foe standing in front of him. "Figured you'd be on a private jet by now."

"You know each other?" Leah asked, reminding the men that she was even there. "How?"

Tony reached down and grabbed her hand. "Justin is a detective for Metro. We've worked a few cases in the past together."

Kemp laughed and snorted, "Is that what you're telling people?"

Leah looked between the two men and knew that this wasn't about work or Metro or NCIS—this was about a woman. She would have to be blind not to see it. "Honey, they said our table should be ready soon. I'm just going to go use the bathroom before they seat us, okay?"

Tony let go of her hand and let her walk away. When she was gone, he clenched his fists. "Come on, Kemp, it wasn't bad enough that you pulled the rug out from underneath me—that you stole her from me—that you now have to go after my wife? Wonder what your rich daddy-in-law would have to say about that!"

"Still hung up on the fact that she chose me over you, huh?" Kemp retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Life seems to have been good to you."

"Life has been good to me the last two years, so stay out of it," Tony hissed.

"Going to be hard," Kemp replied. "I've been ordered to go to NCIS tomorrow to pick up a suspect. That's why I'm not on the fancy, private jet."

Tony glanced over his shoulder when he heard the heels of women's shoes clicking on the tile. "I don't work for NCIS or Gibbs anymore. So, I hate to disappoint you, but you will not be seeing me at NCIS. And I have a contact in Metro that I much prefer to use over you."

Leah returned, noticing that the stand off between her husband and the detective hadn't changed. She had seen Tony in this state before, when he felt threatened or when he felt that she was being threatened. She didn't think that Detective Kemp was threatening to her, he had come into the restaurant to pick up a take out order and noticed her standing there. They had started talking about kids, since she was obviously pregnant, and Leah had never felt that Kemp was flirting with her. He was charming...

"Mister DiNozzo," the hostess said, interrupting them. "Your table is ready."

"Thank you," Tony told the hostess, politely. He took Leah by the hand once more. "I would like to say it was nice seeing you, Kemp, but that would be a lie."

Leah looked at the disgust on Kemp's face before she followed behind Tony and the hostess to their table. As Tony helped her out of her jacket and hang on the nearby coat rack, she gathered up the courage to ask, "What the hell just happened out there?"

Tony pursed his lips and shook his head. He didn't want to talk about it. In fact, until he had seen Kemp standing there, he had pretty much forgotten about what happened all those years ago. Pulling her chair out for her, he simply stated, "Long story."

"Does the long story involve a woman?"

"It does but let's not ruin our evening with it, okay?"

Leah glared at him. "You act all Alpha male around a stranger to me, someone you have a past with, obviously, and you expect me to just forget about it?"

Tony sighed and sat down next to her. He reached out for her hand and brought it to her lips and gave it a kiss. "She was gorgeous... perfect... smart, witty—and she chose him over me. Plain and simple."

"Did you love her?"

"I'm not sure. We only dated four months so I never really got to figure that out."

"You told me that it only took you two weeks to fall in love with me," Leah said.

"Well, that's because you're gorgeous, perfect, smart and witty," Tony said with a charming smile, kissing her hand again. "And you were the one. She wasn't. End of story."

Leah felt happy tears gathering in her eyes. A few of the tears managed to escape and Tony wiped them away. He used her hand to guide her closer to him, pressing his lips to hers in a tender, loving kiss. Kemp might have gotten the girl all those years ago, but Tony now realized it was because there was another, even better girl out there waiting for him.


	67. New Year's Day Nightmare

**A/N:** Happy Wednesday! Almost through another week kids :) Enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

Now that winter was in full swing, and Leah's due date was getting closer, it was falling on Tony to take Copper out for his walks. Bundling up on New Year's Day, Tony snuck out of the apartment with the dog.

Copper was happy to be outside, his tail wagging wildly. He had been somewhat neglected with his humans going to and from holiday parties the last week. Tony promised him an extra mile on their jog that morning. It would give Leah an extra hour or so to sleep. Now that they were zeroing in on her due date, Leah was getting more uncomfortable and having trouble sleeping. So, he'd decided that when she did get to sleep, to let her sleep as long as she could.

Tony headed off towards the park, the sun just beginning to creep into the sky. There were some drunks still staggering about from the night before and he easily dodged them as he ran at a steady pace, the dog running at his side. Once in the park the drunk's were all but gone. Tony noticed a few homeless men and women huddled underneath paper bags, trying to keep warm having been missed by patrol officers the previous night. Recalling what it was like to be a cop on New Year's Eve, Tony wasn't surprised that these homeless men and women had gone undetected.

Briefly, he wondered what happened to Tim's case involving Justin Kemp and the homeless veteran...

It was only briefly because Tony was suddenly taken off guard. Something hard connected with the back of his head, the wind was sucked out of his lungs and he went crashing to the frozen ground. His grip on Copper's leash slackened, the dim horizon blurred, and the last thing he saw as the darkness began to creep in around him was Copper lunging at a masked man, teeth gnashed and growling.

* * *

Gibbs pulled his beat-up pick up truck into his drive way. After clearing Ned Quinn's name, and reuniting him with his daughter, Gibbs had called his dad and decided to drive to his hometown to see him.

The visit had gone better than planned. Hollis had come with him and immediately taken to his father. Of course, most people fell in love with the charismatic Jackson Gibbs after they met him. Shutting the truck down, Gibbs tapped Hollis on the shoulder. "Made it," he said with a smile as she woke up. "And you thought we were going to be on the road for hours and hours."

Hollis stretched and yawned. "I will never understand how you manage defying the odds when it comes to driving..."

Gibbs grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "It's a guy thing. Just ask DiNozzo the next time you see him. He's always trying to beat his personal best time."

"Oh, I bet his wife loves that," Hollis said, sarcastically, as she climbed out of the truck.

"Do you think he tells her about it?" Gibbs retorted, laughing, as he climbed out as well.

Hollis just shook her head as she proceeded through the snow towards the front door. She told him that she would get the heat going and then find something for them to eat for breakfast since they had obviously been trying to beat Gibbs' personal best home from Stillwater and that was the reason they did not stop for food.

Gibbs laughed again and reached into the cab for their duffel bags. He brushed the new coat of fallen snow off the bags and turned towards his front door. The last few days away from NCIS and Washington had been nice. Getting to spend that time with Hollis and his dad had made it even better. His dad had remarked that it was nice that his son was making an honest effort with Hollis; a much more honest effort than with any of his ex-wives following Shannon. He knew that he would never be able to replace Shannon, but he didn't have to spend the rest of his life alone.

"Agent Gibbs?" a frightened voice called out, forcing the former marine to turn around.

"Leah?" Gibbs replied, confused to see Tony's wife standing there in the snow, clutching tightly to Copper's leash. "What are you doing here?"

"Tony went out for a jog this morning," Leah started, tears gathering in her eyes, "it's not unusual for him to go out longer these days so I can get sleep..."

Gibbs took in her appearance, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. She was dressed in jeans and a navy blue knit top, white running shoes that were probably soaked in the snow and she didn't have a coat on. Something was troubling her, otherwise she would not have shown up here. Tony very rarely stopped by his house with his wife and Gibbs assumed that she only knew his address in case of emergencies. "Leah, I'm sure he's fine," he assured her.

Leah shook her head and stepped away from her car that she had parked at the foot of his driveway. "No, he's not. Copper came back to the apartment all by himself. A neighbor found him outside and brought him back up to me. Agent Gibbs, he has blood on him!"

His heart sank into his stomach. Gibbs dropped the duffel bags and heard the front door open behind him. Hollis appeared on the front porch calling his name. Gibbs ignored her and stepped forward. He held his hand out to Copper to let the dog sniff him and then when the dog felt safe, he took the leash from Leah. Kneeling down he could see that there was blood on the dog's back and belly; there was also blood around his mouth. "Have you tried calling the police?"

She nodded her head and started to cry. "Yes! They told me he had to be missing for forty-eight hours before I could file a report and they would investigate! I... I know Tony, Agent Gibbs! He wouldn't run away! Not this close to the baby's due date!"

"Okay, come inside," Gibbs instructed her. "Let's get you out of the cold and we'll make a plan, alright?"

"You can... you can help me?" Leah asked, desperately.

"Yeah," he assured her. "I can help you. We'll find Tony, I promise."

Leah let Gibbs lead her and Copper into the house. Hollis propped some pillows up on the sofa for her and then took her wet sneakers and socks off so her feet could get warm by the fire. "Tony always told me I could count on you if he was in trouble."

Gibbs smiled, sadly at this thought. He took the dog by leash. "I'm going to take Copper with me to NCIS, my team will get on this right away. Hollis will stay here with you. If you hear from Tony—call me."

Numbly, Leah nodded her head, fighting her tears as the dog was taken away from her but knowing that Copper needed to go with Gibbs so they could test the blood that was on his fur. Gibbs gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder before heading back to his truck.

Hollis followed him back outside into the cold. "Jethro, you have no jurisdiction when it comes to this case."

"I know that, Hol," Gibbs replied, "I'm going to call the FBI. But Abby is the best forensic tech in this area; she'll be able to pull DNA from the blood on Copper."

"I hope you find him, Jethro," Hollis said, softly. "I hope you find him before it's too late."

Gibbs took a deep, calming breath. Right now all he do could was pray that they found Tony before it was too late. Hollis could see the desperation in his eyes and hugged him tightly, before she turned on her heel and headed back inside the house to take care of Leah.

Copper whined at his side. It was as if the dog knew that Tony was trouble—hell, the dog had probably tried to save Tony. Gibbs sighed and headed towards his truck, "Come on, boy," he whispered, "let's go find him."

* * *

Tim was in a deep slumber when his cell phone rang. After all the champagne he'd had the night before at a New Year's Eve party, Tim was hoping that he could escape the day without getting a phone call from work. Groaning, Tim reached for the phone and answered, "Yeah, McGee."

Ziva sighed on the other end. She sounded hungover, tired, and annoyed herself. "_Have you heard from Tony?" _

He rolled over onto his back and pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, we didn't spend New Year's together. Celeste and I went to a party at her friend's house; Tony and Leah decided to stay in. Why are you looking for Tony on New Year's Day?"

"_Because, according to Gibbs no one has heard from him since very early this morning," _she replied. "_Langer and I have been canvasing the park near his apartment with Agent Henderson for the last two hours. I thought that if he had called you we could end this pointless exercise. It is clear that Tony has run off."_

"Wait, wait, back up? What do you mean no one has heard from Tony?" Tim gasped, sitting up in bed. His sudden movements and noise woke Celeste up. He glanced at her apologetically and lowered his voice, "Tony goes jogging every morning with Copper. Did you check out his jogging route?"

Ziva let out a little huff. "_Of course we checked his jogging route. There is no sign of him... I swear if this is because he wants to skip out on his marriage..."_

Tim rolled out of bed, forgetting his headache and desire to sleep in. "No, he wouldn't Ziva. He's so excited about this baby! He would never just up and leave!"

"_Well, where would he go then? Abby has been trying to trace his cell phone and Agent Slater has stopped by all his usual stepping grounds." _

"Stomping grounds, but that's not the point here. Did anyone report him missing to Metro?"

_"Metro told Leah that he had to be missing for forty-eight hours._"

_Forty-eight hours? Tony could be dead by then, _Tim thought, panic stricken suddenly. He found some clothes and threw them on. He had to get down to NCIS to help in the investigation. Tony was his friend—his best friend. "Ziva, what happened to Copper? Tony always goes jogging with Copper."

Ziva started to chatter on that the dog was fine, that he had shown up at the apartment building,barking loudly until a neighbor brought the dog inside to Leah and that he had blood on his fur. So far they had found no blood in the park or a weapon to inflict wounds that would bleed. And then she stopped talking suddenly.

Tim could hear the life sucked out of her immediately. "What is it? What happened?"

"_A bat. We found a baseball bat with blood on it."_

"Oh God," Tim cried. _Tony what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into?_


	68. Family

**Warnings**: Some minor spoilers for past seasons, that's all.

**A/N**: Hi everyone, see I didn't leave you hanging too long :) Just an FYI, I had to edit this on my iPad. My MacBook keyboard is not working properly and I'm waiting for a Bluetooth keyboard to arrive. So, if you catch any mistakes please PM me, chances are autocorrect worked it's magic ;).

**amaia- **_I hope you didn't lose too much sleep! _

I also want to thank everyone that left a review last chapter. I'm sorry I haven't gotten around to answering your thoughts yet. I hope I can get to that latter today :).

* * *

Tim felt like he was numb. The blood on the baseball bat matched Tony's. This meant that Tony was hurt and incapacitated somewhere. _This could send Leah over the edge, _he thought, glumly as he looked at Copper lying at Abby's feet.

Abby was doing her best to keep her own spirits up by telling the dog that it wasn't his fault that Tony had been taken. Copper didn't seem to believe her. Tim could have sworn that the dog was blaming himself. At least he was clean now, Abby had given him a bath after taking the blood samples from his fur and teeth. Now, they were just waiting to see if they matched anything.

"Blood on Copper's fur has to two hits," Abby said, slowly. "One of them is Tony."

"What about the blood in his mouth?" Tim asked.

"That one was much more interesting," Abby reported. "I ran the sample against a database that most agencies and local police departments use, you know to see if our suspect is a repeat offender, and I came up with this." She pressed some keys on her computer and a photograph of a big, beefy guy showed up. "Meet Sal Marino. He was in the BPD's database and is wanted for several crimes, but he always manages to skate."

Tim frowned. "Could this be related to a case Tony worked when he was on the Baltimore force?"

Abby took a deep breath. "No. I double-checked. Tony wasn't with Baltimore anymore when this guy was first arrested. However, his former partner, Danny Price was, and has investigated the guy several times."

"What's he wanted for?"

"Contracted killings."

"Great. Tony's been taken by a killer for hire," Tim muttered. "And we have no idea why."

"Yeah we do," Greg Henderson said, entering the lab with Debra Slater. "Danny Price called Tony a couple of weeks ago at the FBI. Tony was out of the building so I took a message; he wanted to touch base with Tony on some mob case they worked years ago. He specially mentioned Sal Marino killing someone."

Tim swallowed the bile in his throat. "So, this could be the mob tying up loose ends. Did you try to call Detective Price?"

Greg nodded. "Yeah. He's on his way into D.C now. He sounded upset on the phone."

Debra nervously shoved her hands into her pockets. "Tony had lunch with Price recently. BPD was handing over the mob case to the FBI since it was extending into D.C and surrounding cities. Price felt that Tony was the best one to handle it because of his familiarity with the case. We were going to start our operation after the holiday."

"How did they find out about all this?" Abby asked, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Best guess—there's a dirty cop on the force that ratted out Price's meetings with Tony to the mob," Greg said. "That's another problem for another day."

"Poor Tony," Abby cried, tears gathering in her eyes.

Tim reached out and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Hey, Abs, we're going to find him, alright."

Abby wiped the tears away. "Sure, I know you will. I know Gibbs isn't going to give up."

"Don't worry, Ms. Scouts, no one is giving up on Tony," Greg promised her. He glanced at Debra for a second. "Looks like we'll be going to Baltimore."

"I'll get in touch with the agents up there," Debra said. "They'll help us find Marino's boss."

"Gibbs isn't going to let you go to Baltimore without him," Tim said.

"Listen, Agent McGee, I understand how close you all are to Tony but this is clearly an FBI case," Greg snapped. "We should be leading the investigation."

"Leah went to Gibbs," Tim argued. "Tony told her that whenever he was in trouble to go to Gibbs."

"She also showed up without a jacket on and in sneakers in a snow storm," Greg threw back. "Obviously she wasn't thinking clearly. We're thankful for all the work Ms. Sciuto did but we can take it from here Agent McGee."

Tim felt a fire burning in him. His best friend was in serious trouble. He was not about to let Greg and Debra walk away and handle this case on their own. "Tony is my best friend and I know for a fact that he wouldn't let someone do this to him! He wouldn't let another team take the case out from underneath him! He'd fight to keep investigating and to keep helping until the person he cared about was found!"

Gibbs came in then, smacking Tim across the back of the head. "Hey! Arguing over who has lead in this case isn't going to do Tony any good. I just got off the phone with the FBI director and Vance. Resources are stretched thin right now so they want us to work together—all of us!"

Greg ran his tongue over his lips and looked at his feet, sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Agent Gibbs. You're right—fighting about this isn't going to help Tony."

Debra slumped against the table. "So... what do we do now?"

"Now," Gibbs said, gesturing for the two FBI agents to join him, "We are going to go talk to the mob. McGee, I want you and Ziva to go check on Leah."

"Ziva?" McGee repeated, jogging after the lead agent. "Are you sure? They don't have the best history..."

"Yeah, I'm sure!" Gibbs yelled at him. "She needs to learn a bit of sensitivity!"

Tim nodded, blankly and watched as the elevator doors shut in his face. Eyes wide with anxiety, he turned towards the stairs. Climbing them would help him focus and exert some energy. It would also give him a few extra moments to think about what to say to Leah when he saw her.

* * *

Hollis poured the distraught young woman a cup of freshly brewed tea. Carefully she carried it out to Leah, who was seated on the sofa, wrapped up in blankets and warming herself by the fire. Hollis felt terrible for her; a young, expectant mother, who was facing the very real possibility of being a single parent. "Here, Mrs. DiNozzo," Hollis said as she sat down on the sofa with her, "I made you some tea. That will help take the chill off."

Leah gratefully took the cup. Her hair had curled from the wetness caused by the falling snow, and a couple of her toes stuck out from under the blankets while they waited for her socks to dry. "You don't have to call me _Mrs. DiNozzo,_" she said. "Leah is fine. I think I prefer that right now anyways."

"When is your baby due?" Hollis asked, hoping to keep the young woman's mind off of Tony.

"February," Leah replied, softly, her hand reaching up to rest on her belly. "The tenth to be exact."

"Do you know what you're having?"

"No. We wanted it to be a surprise."

Hollis smiled at her. "Sometimes, I think it's better that way."

Leah glanced at her with tears in her eyes. "If they don't find Tony, he'll never know that he was going to have a son or a daughter. So how is that better?"

"It's not," Hollis said, sadly. "Let's not start thinking the worst has happened, okay?"

"Okay," Leah whispered as the front door opened.

Hollis looked up to see Tim and Ziva step inside the house, brushing snow from their jackets. "Tim, Ziva, what are you doing here?" she asked. "Did Jethro send you?"

Tim nodded and looked at Leah. "Abby was able to match the blood found on Copper's fur to Tony. She also matched the blood on his teeth to that of a hired killer from Baltimore that has been under investigation by Tony's former partner, Danny Price. Just because the blood matched Tony, Leah, that doesn't mean he's that badly injured, alright?"

Ziva glanced at Leah, watching as her eyes clouded with agony, and then she looked at Tim. "McGee, we found a baseball bat with his blood on it," she blurted out before thinking about who she was speaking in front of.

Leah sat up, throwing the blankets off of her shoulders. Her eyes were wide with horror and tears were spilling out down her cheeks. "A baseball bat? Are you saying... are you saying that Tony was hit with a baseball bat?"

"Nice going, Ziva," Tim muttered under his breath. He moved towards Leah and sat down on the coffee table. He gently took her by the shoulders. "We didn't find a lot of blood at the crime scene; that means Tony didn't suffer major blood loss. Chances are the bat was used to knock him out so he could be transported elsewhere without putting up a fight."

"Who... who would hire someone to kidnap him?" Leah questioned, struggling to keep her emotions in check. "You said that the blood on Copper's teeth matched that of a hired killer—why would a hired killer take Tony and not kill him?"

Tim didn't let go of her shoulders. He gently gave them a squeeze. "Until we know more, I can't really say. I just wanted to let you know that NCIS, the FBI and even the BPD are doing everything they can to find Tony before it's too late, okay?"

Ziva crossed her arms over her chest. She felt remorseful that she had spilled the beans about the baseball bat, but Leah questioning why a contract killer would have kidnapped a man instead of kill that man made her think that this was all an elaborate scheme by Tony. He had the means to get the blood samples to put in Copper's mouth..."If there is anything that you can think of—a reason why Tony might just disappear like this—it would be helpful. Men have been known to get cold feet."

Hollis could see the fire in Tim's eyes as he turned to glare at his partner. She knew that Ziva had been raised to be blunt and honest, but she at least thought the younger woman's time in the States had fostered some sensitivity into her. Apparently, Ziva still was not very good with other women's emotions. "That doesn't sound like something Tony would do, Ziva."

Leah anxiously shook her head, standing by her husband. "No, Colonel Mann is right, Tony would never do something like this. I know... I know his reputation in the past... his commitment issues would make someone question whether or not he staged this, but I know my husband. He _loves _me and our baby."

"Evidence suggests that Tony didn't stage this," Tim assured Leah, getting to his feet. He turned towards his partner. "Despite what Officer David thinks."

"I am exploring all possible leads," Ziva argued. "Contract killers do not kidnap people. They kill them."

"Not in this case," Tim snapped.

"It's fine, Tim," Leah whispered. It wasn't like Ziva really believed that Tony and Leah's marriage was strong to begin with and it didn't surprise her that Ziva found it plausible that Tony had run off. "Everyone is entitled to their opinion."

Tim set his jaw and promised to keep Leah updated. He left with Ziva on his tail, slamming the door shut.

Hollis sighed and reached over and pat Leah on the knee. Things weren't really looking up yet, but they were getting there.

* * *

Tony woke up when he was jostled around in the back of an industrial van. Coming too, he realized that he was bound and gagged, and that the van was speeding over bumps and through potholes.

Blinking the cobwebs back he recalled being struck with something while out jogging. Copper had come to his defense, but obviously the dog had not been successful. _Dear God, please let him be okay. Leah will kill me if anything happens to Copper! _ Lifting his head, Tony looked around the back of the van. There wasn't much in it; some painting tarps, buckets, and a toolbox.

Suddenly the van came to a screeching halt. Tony braced himself for what was coming next. Perhaps he was about to be tossed in the river to drown... taken somewhere else so the person that had kidnapped him could torture him for a few days before finally killing him...

"Let's go, DiNozzo," a voice ground out as the back doors of the van were opened. Immediately the cab was filled with sunlight. "Party's waiting for you."

Tony was roughly pulled out of the van by two men and dragged across pavement. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the daylight but when they did, he immediately knew where he was. Baltimore. He had seen this old brick building that housed a very exclusive club for organized crime members a hundred times before. If he went in there, he wasn't coming out.

Fighting against the hold of the two men, Tony tried to desperately get away. His efforts only ended getting him shoved to the ground and kicked a few times. Steal toed boots connected with his ribs and he heard them crack. After he was still he was pulled to his feet again, only this time it was painful.

"Maybe next time you'll behave," the lead goon said as he was pulled into the building. "Hey, boss, we got the Detective."

"Bring him in," a calm voice responded.

Tony felt his stomach do a backflip. He knew that voice. How many times had he spoken to that voice when he'd been on the force? Apparently, the mob wasn't aware that he had left Baltimore and gone to D.C to become a federal agent. If that was the case then Leah was safe...

Dark brown eyes glared at him as he was shoved into a chair. Cigar smoke swirled around the mafia don's head as he took Tony's appearance in. "Detective DiNozzo... or should I say Agent DiNozzo, now? Always figured you would show up as a fed someday. You've looked better, Anthony. Sorry my men roughed you up a bit, but you know how it goes." He snapped his fingers and one of the goons ripped the duct tape off covering Tony's mouth. "Would you like something to eat, Anthony?"

"I'll pass, thanks," Tony said, his voice hoarse. "What do you want from me, Vincent?"

"What makes you think I want something from you?"

"Oh, I don't know, being knocked out, kidnapped, and beaten up tends to lead me to think you want something."

Vincent chuckled. "Anthony, can't I catch up with an old friend?"

Tony scowled at him. "We are not _old friends, _Carvetti."

"But I have you to thank for all this. You were the one that put my brother in jail."

"Is that why you're coming after me now?"

Vincent poured himself a glass of red wine. He offered one to Tony, who turned it down. "I suppose that you do not know that John is dead. Someone killed him in prison. I guess you had left Baltimore for greener pastures by then. Tell me, Anthony, did you marry that shrew of a woman that was always calling you?"

Tony knew that he could tell the truth that he didn't get married to Wendy, but then they would see the ring on his finger and realize that he had married someone else. He needed to protect Leah but lying wasn't going to help him—and it could put Wendy in danger. "No," he finally said, "I didn't marry her."

"It was probably a good thing. She only would have held you down, Anthony," Vincent said, sipping his wine. He raised his eyebrows at the band on Tony's finger. "Some other woman captured your heart though."

"She did," Tony replied, his jaw twitching. "You'll stay far away from her if you know what's good for you. She doesn't need to be involved in any of this."

"Of course not," Vincent said. "Why do you think I had my men grab you when you were _alone?_ No need to drag Leah into all of this. After all, this only involves us."

Tony felt his blood run cold. How did this mafia don know so much about him? It wasn't like Tony had spent a lot of time up in Baltimore after busting John Carvetti. He was gone several months later but he had been aware of the elder Carvetti brother's passing by Danny just a few weeks ago.

Vincent put his wine glass down. "Your wife is a very beautiful woman, Anthony. And I would hate to take a father away from an unborn child, but my brother would not be dead if you had not put him in jail. His blood is on _your _hands, Anthony. Detective Price's warnings are little too late. You should have known better that once you mess with this family... there is no turning back, no running away. It is time that you pay for my brother's death."


	69. Last in Line

**Warnings:** Minor spoilers for Season 6 and 8

**A/N: **Happy Tuesday! I didn't want to leave you waiting too long to see what happened with Tony. Enjoy! **Thank you for all your feedback, I love you guys :)**

* * *

Tony wasn't going to plea for his life; he wasn't going to grovel. He was pretty sure it wouldn't work in his favor anyways. Vincent Carvetti was going to kill him and Tony was not going to give him any more satisfaction by begging for mercy. Lesser men would have tried to make a deal. Tony wasn't that kind of man.

Vincent stood, poured himself some more wine, and pulled his weapon. He held it in front of him for a moment, weighing it in his hand. "My brother gave me this gun just before he went to prison. He said that it should be kept in the family and he didn't want it ending up in some evidence lock-up. Only fitting that it should be used to kill you, Anthony."

"Poetic," Tony snapped. "So are you going to put a bullet in my heart?"

"Is that how you would like to go?" Vincent inquired.

"No, I'd like to go old and in my sleep," Tony countered. "But since that isn't going to happen..."

Vincent chuckled and stepped around the table. He sipped his wine. "I will put a bullet between your eyes and then dump your body out to sea. Your wife will never have the opportunity to bury you; your child will grow up watching as Leah falls apart because she never got closure. That will be_ my _comfort,_ my_ closure."

Tony clenched his jaw. It was heart breaking enough to know that Leah was going to have to raise their baby without him, that she would be bringing their child into the world alone, but to think about her never getting her chance at closure...it made him sick to his stomach. "I hope you enjoy hell; I know someone that is going to send you there after you kill me."

He laughed. Vincent had always enjoyed the young man's bravado and his sense of humor. It had made Tony an admirable foe when he'd been on the Baltimore force. "Even facing death, Anthony, you still retain what makes you _you._ I always did enjoy that about you. I will miss our banter."

Glaring, Tony wasn't sure he could say the same. When he had gone to Washington he had hoped he would never have to banter with Carvetti ever again. He suddenly longed for Leah, longed to hold her and see her one last time before his life was snatched away from him. "There's an easy solution to all this, Vincent...you don't have to kill me. And then we can banter until the cows come home."

"Sadly, for you, I will not miss it that much."

"So what are you waiting for then? Kill me and get it over with."

"Is that what you would like, Anthony? A quick, clean kill?"

"I certainly do not want to be sitting here thinking about it."

Vincent held the gun up, taking aim right at Tony's forehead and muttered a good-bye to the federal agent in Italian.

Tony braced himself, believing that his luck had finally dried up, until the door was kicked in and three armed federal agents discharged their weapons. He watched as Vincent and his two goons both fell to the floor, dead. Too stunned to move, Tony sat there, trying to take deep breaths and just counting his lucky stars that somehow he had managed to escape death once again.

Gibbs moved into the room and surveyed the damage. When they had arrived and discovered Carvetti aiming his weapon at Tony they had been left with very little choice; it was go in there guns blazing or watch as Tony was murdered. Gibbs was not about to watch Tony die. "DiNozzo, are you okay?"

"Yeah," Tony replied, weakly. "Those goons did a number on my ribs but that's better than the alternative of being dead. How did you find me?"

"Danny Price," Gibbs answered, holstering his weapon and taking out his knife. He cut Tony's restraints. "He told us about Carvetti."

"Led us to this club," Greg said, glancing down at the three bodies. "I doubt anyone is going to miss these three."

"With their rap sheet, highly doubt it," Debra said.

Tony rubbed his wrists. "Vincent was the last one in line for this crime family. Guess the other mob bosses in town will be happy. Danny and I collared his brother years ago; Vincent always blamed me for that collar. I got a little too close I suppose." _It nearly cost me my life back then too... _"He knew a lot about my time in D.C. He knew about Leah."

Gibbs frowned and helped the FBI agent to his feet, steadying him. He saw Tony wince in pain. "We think there's a mole on the Baltimore force that sold you out, Tony. They informed Carvetti about your meeting with Price and where to find you."

His jaw tightened and his shoulders tensed, visibly. "Danny has to know who it is, Gibbs," Tony said. "He knows more than he's letting on."

Patting his former agent on the shoulder, Gibbs sighed, "Don't worry, Tony. FBI is going to get to the bottom of this. I've already been on the phone with your director and with Fornell."

"There's nothing I hate more than a dirty cop, Gibbs."

"We'll get him, Tony."

Tony sighed and nodded. Once again he winced and he held his ribcage. He knew that things could be worse but these busted ribs were going to sideline him for several days if not weeks. "Leah?"

Gibbs could tell that Tony was trying to hold his emotions in check and he decided to just quietly answer his questions instead of pushing the younger man. "She's with Hollis at my house. She's safe, Tony."

He glanced at Gibbs, knowing that Leah had gone to him when Tony had not returned home from his jog, which would explain why NCIS had been involved in finding him. "Is Copper okay?"

Chuckling, Gibbs nodded his head. "Yeah, he ran back to the apartment after you were taken. A neighbor found him and brought him to Leah. She brought him to me. I think he's a little depressed about not being able to save you...but Abby is taking care of him right now."

"I should go home," Tony said, wincing.

"Let us take you to the hospital, boss. It's the least we can do," Greg offered.

"Henderson, you saved my life; you did enough."

"It was a team effort between us and NCIS."

Gibbs glared slightly at Tony, knowing that if he gave the younger man a certain look, he could get him to go the emergency room. "Tony, you need to be checked out by doctors. I'll stay here and clean up this mess with the police and the FBI."

Tony sighed, feeling the tension leaving his shoulders. He felt his emotions finally slam into him and he fought back tears. He had come so close, so very close..."Thanks, Gibbs," he whispered, before heading out of the club towards the car with his agents, happy to be going to the emergency room and not the morgue.

* * *

Tim was relieved when they got the phone call that Tony had been found and that the former NCIS agent was safe. Danny Price's information had panned out; he knew exactly where Tony was going to be taken. _Thank God for that, _Tim thought as he drove Leah to Baltimore.

Leah had insisted on going to the hospital to be with Tony, even though Greg had reported that Tony's injuries were not life threatening. She needed to see him and touch him just to reassure herself that Tony was indeed all right. She spent most of the ride taking deep breaths to calm herself. The ride to the city was also the perfect opportunity for Tim to apologize for Ziva's actions earlier. "It's not your fault, Tim."

"I don't know what her problem is," Tim said, honestly. "She's been...different since coming back from Israel."

"She never really liked me," Leah pointed out. "When I see her I don't expect her to deal with me nicely."

"Still... she could have been a bit more sensitive, regardless of how she feels about you," Tim replied.

Leah glanced out the window at the falling snow. She had come to terms with the fact that Ziva was always going to look down upon her. It didn't bother her so much anymore. She had Tony's love and support and that was all that mattered. "Why do you think Tony never hooked up with her?"

Tim shrugged his shoulders as they turned off the highway. "I don't know. I always thought she was the type of woman that Tony went for, but then I realized after I met you that Tony was just playing a game with me. Maybe he didn't get together with her because he never saw anything long term lasting with Ziva and he didn't want to jeopardize the dynamics of the team."

She tucked her long hair behind her ears. "Office romances can be tricky and messy. Let's face it, Tony's life is messy enough without an office romance."

He laughed, lightly. "True. Maybe she doesn't like you because of what you represent."

"And that is?"

"What she really wants in life—marriage, a family—but well, being in Mossad, she might not get that."

"She doesn't have to stay in Mossad."

"Her father would say otherwise."

Leah fell silent. She knew all about being pressured by parents, especially growing up in society where her mother had strict ideas on who her children should date and associate with. Often times she wondered if the pressure to please her parents had led to her choices in her career and dating. While Tony wasn't in the Boston society circle, he did come from money, and he displayed a certain kind of charm that really could only be learned by growing up around the rich. "Parents," she mumbled as Tim found a parking spot at the hospital.

Tim sighed and tended to agree with her. His father had been hard to please. It was the reason why he had not spoken to his father in years. They didn't seem to talk anyways, it always ended up in arguments. "Even as adults we're always striving to please them."

She quietly agreed and opened her door. Immediately she shivered in the cold air and was glad that Hollis had offered to lend her a jacket. In her panic stricken state she had left the apartment without the proper cold weather attire. Leah was sure that Tony was going to scold her for that but she didn't care. He was alive and that was all that mattered to her. "Did Greg say how bad Tony's injuries were? I know he said they were not life threatening..."

He sighed and took her by the arm, leading her to the entrance of the emergency room. "Tony was a little beaten up," Tim said. "According to Gibbs, he was kicked with steel-toed boots, probably cracking some ribs... and the doctor's will check for internal bleeding; minor concussion from the baseball bat. He was lucky."

"Very lucky," Greg said, meeting them at the door. "If we had been thirty seconds later, Tony wouldn't be here."

"Where is he now?" Leah asked, balling her fists up in an effort to keep herself from falling to pieces.

"Back with the doctors. Debra was with him to make sure he behaved," Greg said. "You know how he gets around doctors."

Leah did know how Tony could be in hospitals and she was happy that Debra was making sure he didn't refuse treatment. "Can I go see him?" she inquired, hopefully.

Greg nodded and gestured for her to follow him. "I don't see why not. They were wrapping his ribs the last time I checked on him."

Tim and Leah followed Greg through the halls. It was actually rather quiet in the ER; a few sick children and a few deep frying turkey accidents, but other than that, there didn't appear to be many emergencies. Greg stopped outside of a room and stood by the door, letting Leah into the room first.

Tony was sitting on the bed, legs dangling over the edge, and he only had his sweatpants on. A doctor was working on wrapping his ribcage and Tony winced every so often as the slight pressure caused significant pain. His green eyes drifted upwards and he saw Leah.

Leah's emotional floodgate opened when he looked at her. She brought her hands to her face to muffle her cries but the tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Big, ugly bruises were visible underneath the bandages and there were cuts and scraps all over his hands.

"Please don't cry, Leah," Tony said, clenching his teeth. "It's not that bad, really!"

"Not that bad?" Leah gasped, her hands falling to her sides. "You're covered in bruises! And I could have lost you!"

Tony waited until the doctor was done wrapping his abdomen. He then gingerly put his hoodie back on and slowly climbed down from the bed. A few painful steps towards her and he had Leah in his arms. "I'm fine, sweetheart."

Leah buried her face into his sweatshirt and cried. He probably was not fine, after all he had just been held captive by the mob, but he was telling her that to calm her. It was somewhat working. She was still incredibly terrified that this had happened. "How did they even know where to find you?"

Tim swallowed nervously as he made eye contact with Tony. They still weren't sure who the mole had been. Langer had been trying to get it out of Price all day, but so far the detective wasn't budging. Gibbs was convinced that Price knew who the dirty cop was. "We're still working on that," he said. "It could be a few days before we figure it out."

"Doctor," Leah said, turning towards the other man in the room, "can my husband go home?"

"As soon as the discharge papers are processed," the doctor replied. "You might want to take a few days medical leave, Agent DiNozzo."

"Sure, I understand," Tony said, _but I also want to find the bastard that ratted me out. _"My desk also has a neglected pile of paperwork I could work on at the FBI."

"I'll make sure he rests, doctor," Leah said, throwing her husband a glare.

"Make sure that you do—I don't want him to make his injuries worse," the doctor said before leaving the room.

Leah pulled away from Tony. "Did you hear him? You need to stay home and rest."

Tony sighed, shoved his hands into the pockets on his hoodie, and growled when even that movement caused him pain. "I heard him. I promise, I will take it easy."

She wasn't sure she entirely believed him but she wasn't going to argue with him in the hospital. "I'll go get your papers," Leah announced before leaving the room.

He frowned, and Tony rose his eyes towards Tim. "What did you find out about the mole?" he asked, knowing that Tim had to have some information.

"Price isn't talking."

"Of course he isn't. Once a dirty cop, always a dirty cop."

Greg looked between the other agents in the room. "Wait, you think that Detective Price sold you out? Why would he do that? Especially if he came to warn you two weeks ago about Carvetti?"

Tony's jaw twitched, slightly. "Danny being a dirty cop was the whole reason that I left Baltimore, Greg. There is a distinct possibility that he took money from the mob to find my whereabouts for them. Coming to warn me about Carvetti was just his way to clear his guilty conscience."

Tim suspected that Gibbs was on the same page as Tony. It would explain why the team leader was keeping Price around for questioning. "If it wasn't Price, do you think he's covering for someone else?"

"I'd like to talk to him," Tony said, firmly.

"Sure, but good luck convincing Leah you need to go into work," Tim said.

Tony glared, slightly, at Tim. He could easily convince his wife that he was needed to finish this case. Her safety, the safety of the baby might depend on it. While Vincent might have been the last in line in the Carvetti crime family, that didn't necessarily mean someone else wasn't out to get Tony—or Leah. If getting Danny to talk and give up the mole meant protecting Leah, then Tony was damn well going to do it.

* * *

Ziva glanced up from her computer screen when she heard the elevator _ding. _ She was not surprised to see Tony step off, holding his torso, and wincing like he was in some pain. She was a bit surprised to see Leah step off the elevator after him.

Tony had obviously changed out of his jogging clothes, quite possibly to use as evidence in the case against Sal Marino for assaulting and abducting him. He was now wearing a crisp, clean sweater over a pair of faded jeans. "Where's Gibbs?" he directed the question towards Langer.

Langer stood, dropping a pen onto his desk. "Still talking with Detective Price. Is that why you're here, DiNozzo? It's nice to see you alive and all, but I would have thought you would much rather be home...resting."

"Believe me, I want to be on my sofa, but Danny will talk to me," Tony said, confidently.

"Gibbs hasn't been able to break the guy all day," Langer pointed out, "What makes you think you can break him?"

"He was my partner," Tony snapped, "And you always know things about your partner that can break them."

Ziva glanced away from Langer, quickly. She wasn't sure if Tony would be able to break her but she didn't want to be put in a position for him to even try. Slowly she turned her gaze back to her computer, aware that Leah was standing at the edge of her desk. "I am sorry," she said, softly to the other woman, "for not believing you. It is obvious that you know Tony better than I do."

Tony's head snapped around to glare at Ziva. "Leah, what is she talking about? Why is she apologizing to you?" He kept his glare fixated on Ziva. _What did you say to my wife, David? _

Leah chewed nervously on her lower lip. "It's nothing, Tony. There's no need for anyone to get upset over something so trivial now that you're okay. And...thank you, Ziva, for apologizing. I appreciate it."

"DiNozzo are you here to see Price or not?" Langer questioned, clearly tired and wanting to get the hell out of the office for the day.

"Yeah, I'm here to see Price," Tony snapped, turning away from Ziva and following behind Langer.

Tim tossed his backpack down near his desk. "I forgot how much of a temper he has," he muttered as he plopped down into his chair. He glanced at his watch. It had been four hours since he had last checked in with Celeste, he wasn't sure if she knew that Tony was all right.

Ziva shook her head and went back to work. "Why did you let Tony come here? You know that he is stubborn, but he should be home resting. Broken ribs do not heal when you are running around."

Leah adverted her gaze. "He told me that it was something he had to do, in order to keep me and the baby safe. Tim and I couldn't say _no _to him."

"Are you and the baby in danger?" Ziva asked.

"Tony said he wouldn't know until he talked to Danny," Leah replied.

Ziva suddenly thought about those reports her father had, all the photographs... could Eli be responsible for the Carvetti family finding Tony? _No, _she said, silently, _no, my father had nothing to do with this. _The mole was within the Baltimore Police Department. It had to be that way because the other possibilities terrified her.


	70. Mole

**Warnings:** Spoilers for Season 6

**A/N:** Happy weekend! Enjoy this next part.

**amaia-** _I totally agree. Ziva realized way too late that she loved Tony._

* * *

"Tony! Thank God, they found you!" Danny Price exclaimed when Tony barged into the Interrogation room. "And you're in one piece!"

"One piece is a matter of perspective, Danny. I have a few busted ribs," Tony confessed, grabbing a chair and sitting down across from his former partner. "Who ratted me out? Was it you?"

Danny's eyes went wide and he held his hand up to his chest. "Me? You think I was the one that ratted you to Carvetti? No way, Tony! I know that we didn't part on the best of terms but I would never rat you out to the mob."

Tony narrowed his eyes. He felt Gibbs shifting uneasily behind him. "Then who did, Danny? There aren't a lot of people in Baltimore that know I moved to D.C, that I became an NCIS agent or that I didn't marry Wendy. There are even fewer people that know I married Leah. Carvetti knew my wife's name, he knew that we were expecting a child."

Gibbs watched as Price held his head in shame. He balled his fists up against his thighs. If Price had ratted Tony out to the mob, the detective was going to have a hell of a problem on his hands. "Who told the mob about Tony?" he questioned through clenched teeth.

"I don't know who it was," Price said. "My contact came to me and said that Carvetti was looking around for Tony. He was even asking rival organizations."

"You didn't give me up to your contact, did you?" Tony asked.

Price shook his head again. "No. I told him I would look into it. Two weeks later he came to me and said that someone visited Carvetti with the information; they knew all kinds of information about you, about Leah and the baby. They were foreign. Middle Eastern maybe, I can't remember."

Tony wheels were beginning to turn, trying to put the information together, but he couldn't think of any cases that he'd worked in the last few month that involved a Middle Eastern suspect. "Did your contact say if the guy gave a name while he was meeting with Vincent?"

"Nick Quaderi," Price said. "I tried running a background check, but I came up with nothing. That's why I came to see you, Tony."

"You could have told me all of this, when we met," Tony snapped. "Two weeks I was walking around, unaware that Leah and my baby were in danger!"

"I didn't think that Leah and the baby were in any danger."

"You're joking right? This has to be a joke! The mob was after me and but Leah wasn't in danger? Do you hear how ridiculous that sounds?"

Price sighed and dropped his hands to his lap. "Yes, I hear how ridiculous that sounds," he whispered. "But you and Leah and the baby are fine!"

Tony resisted the urge to punch his former partner in the face. "Yeah! We're oh so lucky that we're fine! Thirty seconds later, thirty Danny, and I wouldn't be here!"

"Well, why do you think I offered to help NCIS?" Price questioned. "I knew that it was Carvetti and I knew he was going to kill you."

"You're lucky that bastard didn't hurt Leah," Tony snapped, getting to his feet. "Real lucky."

* * *

Leah could tell that the meeting between Tony and Danny had not gone well. There was clear anger in her husband's eyes and his entire body was stiff with tension. Langer was walking at a safe distance behind Tony, like he was afraid that any moment the FBI agent was going to explode. She pulled her jacket around her tightly as Tony approached her. "Is everything alright?" she asked, quietly.

Tony wrapped an arm around her slender shoulders, pulling her close to him and kissed the top of her head. "Everything is going to be alright, sweetheart," he told her, gently. "I promise no one is going to hurt you or the baby."

"Who... who told the mob where to find you? Was it Danny?" Leah asked, pulling away and searching his eyes.

"No, he isn't sure. The name that was given to him was probably a fake. He couldn't find any background information on the guy," Tony replied.

Tim could understand why Tony was so tense; the man that ratted him out to the mob essentially didn't exist. "So... we have no idea who told Carvetti where to find you and that you were married?"

Tony shook his head, keeping Leah close to him. "All Danny could tell me is that the man was Middle Eastern. He did give me the phony name, Nick Quaderi that he claims he couldn't find any background information on, which I find hard to believe. Everyone has a past. I plan to run the name through every database the FBI has to find the bastard."

Leah set her jaw and gave him a stern look. "_After _your ribs heal and your medical leave is up, then you can start to track the person responsible for all this. The doctor gave you strict orders to rest."

"I can do a simple search from my computer with cracked ribs," Tony argued.

"Anthony, do not make me call the hospital and have you admitted," Leah threatened.

Tony grumbled and pulled away from her. "Fine. I'll have my team look into it," he relented, but only because he really didn't want to spend the next few days in the hospital, away from Leah. He had promised her that she'd be safe and he couldn't keep her safe if he was tied to a hospital bed. "Let's go get Copper and go home."

Leah reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. "If you stay home and rest, the faster you'll get back to work to help the team, honey," she said, with an overly sweet smile to drive her point home. "And I could use your help getting the baby's room finished. Doctor Hunter says we should be prepared for the baby to arrive any day now."

"You just said I had to take it easy."

"I think you can help me put away clothes and put sheets on the mattress in the crib."

Tim chuckled at the despondent look on Tony's face. He offered to walk Tony and Leah down to the lab to pick up Copper, and that left Langer and Ziva alone in the bullpen.

Langer immediately drew his attention on her. "Fess up, David, do you know who Nick Quaderi is?" he asked, watching as a pale look came across her face. "That's right, I saw the familiarity in your eyes when Tony said that name. Do you know him?"

Ziva shook her head and focused on her computer screen. "No, I do not know him. I am just concerned that a Middle Eastern man has all this information on Tony. This sounds like the work of a terrorist."

"Sure, expect Tony's team hasn't been involved in any terrorist investigations in the past five months."

"So? That does not mean a terrorist did not rat him out."

Langer frowned at her. "I hope for your sake that if you do know this Nick Quaderi—you'll say something."

Ziva silently went back to work wondering what she should do.

* * *

Celeste found Tim hunched at his computer. "Tim? What are you doing?" she asked.

Tim looked up, dark circles underneath his eyes. "Trying to a find a phantom."

She sat on the edge of his chair, scooting him over a little bit. Ever since he had come home from NCIS that night, he had been at his computer. She wasn't sure what he had been working on, but now that it was close to three in the morning—she was rather concerned. "A phantom? What do you mean by that?"

He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. He had been trying to find the man that had given up Tony's location to Vincent Carvetti. So far, Danny Price had been right, there was no information on him. "I'm trying to find the person that ratted Tony out to the mob. But it's like that man doesn't even exist—a phantom. Things would have been so much easier if this had been the work of a dirty cop."

"Tony is safe now, isn't he?" Celeste asked, rubbing his shoulders.

"Safe for now," Tim said, "But if we don't find this guy... I'm afraid it won't last very long."

"Do you think Tony and Leah are still in danger?"

"I'm not sure. I don't have a good feeling in general when I think about today—or tomorrow now, I suppose."

Celeste had only talked to Leah briefly since Tony had been rescued and she didn't seem too nervous, maybe she didn't understand everything that was going on around her, but Celeste found that hard to believe. "Is there anyone else that would want to hurt Tony?"

Tim chuckled and decided to call it a night. He stood up, mussing his hair and he sighed, "If I went through everyone that had a grudge against Tony, I'd be here until my sixtieth birthday."

"Well, there's nothing else you can do this late," Celeste pointed out. "Why don't you go to bed? Gibbs is going to be expecting you at work tomorrow."

"Gibbs is probably still at the office trying to find this guy," Tim said, thinking about leaving his boss at his desk hours and hours ago.

"True but Gibbs doesn't sleep. He drinks fifteen cups of coffee a day."

"Ziva's been after him to cut back."

Celeste laughed. "Yeah? And how is that working out for her?"

Tim smiled, shyly and shrugged his shoulders. "So far it hasn't worked out well for her at all."

* * *

Tony was going to have to be clever if he was going to work on finding out who Nick Caderi was. Leah was keeping an eye on him and Copper too. The dog had refused to leave Tony's side since he came home. Right now the pup was curled around Tony's feet underneath the table while Tony ate lunch and tried to casual do a search for their suspect.

Leah had disappeared into the baby's room to put some things away and he estimated that he had fifteen or twenty minutes before his wife returned to the dining room. He reached down and scratched Copper behind the ears. If it hadn't been for Copper's bravery, Tony wouldn't even be here. He already loved the dog but now he loved him even more. He was getting a little tired of the dog following closely behind him at all times, but it was a trade off he would gladly take if it meant he was alive.

Behind him he heard Leah's footsteps and was just about to close his laptop when it beeped a result. Tony gazed up at the screen to see what he had found and felt his heart turn to ice.

"I thought we agreed you were not going to do work," Leah snapped at him, good naturedly. When he didn't respond, she came up besides him. "Tony?"

"I don't want you leaving the apartment without me, okay?" Tony threw at her, shutting the laptop and looking at her with deep concern.

"Why? What did you find?"

"Right now, that isn't your concern. Just promise me, Leah, that you won't leave the apartment without me."

She could tell that whatever he had found was troubling him. Slowly, Leah nodded her head. "I promise," she whispered.

He stood up, careful not to trip over Copper, and took her face into his hands. Tony kissed her. "I need to go make a few phone calls."

Leah watched as he disappeared into their bedroom, closing the door behind him. Copper wasn't fast enough to follow Tony into the bedroom and laid down outside the door, whining to be let in. She was suddenly terrified about Tony's findings. Could her life be in danger? Could their baby's life be in danger? She brought her hands to her stomach and rubbed her belly lovingly. She knew that Tony would do whatever it took to keep her and the baby safe, but she had a sick feeling growing in her stomach.

Tony had not acted this way in a very long time. In fact, he hadn't acted this way since Rene Benoit had been after them. This thought made her blood run a little bit cold. If Tony thought that there was a significant threat to her and the baby then he wouldn't hesitate this time. Last time he had waited far too long to act and they had come close to losing their lives. She doubted he was going to let it come that close ever again.

* * *

_Guess what?! Baby DiNozzo is coming very, very soon :)_


	71. Early

**Warnings:** Spoilers for Season 6

**A/N:** Happy weekend, here's a short update, enjoy!

**Guest- **_Yes, it is Rivkin but Tony and the others don't know that yet :)_

* * *

Leon Vance wasn't surprised when Tony and the Director of the FBI greeted him the following morning in his office. "Agent DiNozzo, Director Anderson," he greeted, shutting the door to his office with a bit of a flourish. "What can I do for you gentlemen?"

Glancing at the FBI director, Tony cleared his throat. "I found a connection to Nick Quadri," he simply stated.

Vance slipped out of his jacket. He had read Gibbs' report last night by the fire. "Should we be concerned?"

"I'm not sure yet, Director," Tony said. "His name has been circulating in terrorist Intel for a few months now, mostly suspected sleeper cells here in the States. My team isn't investigating any terrorist sleeper cells at this time. I'm confused as to why Quadri give my name up."

"Unfortunately, we can't find anyone else that was privy to the full conversation and communication between Quadri and Carvetti," Samual Anderson interjected. "I had all my agents working the mafia and the sleeper cells try to find a connection. They couldn't. All we can surmise is that Carvetti promised someone a lot of money to turn Tony in."

"Sleeper cells would need the cash," Vance concluded. "Did Carvetti leave a money trail? Or is that way too much to ask for in this case?"

"He paid cash according to our source," Tony replied. "Quadri didn't just find me, Director, he knew things about my personal life. He knew about Leah and the baby."

Vance could understand Tony's concern. He often worried about Jackie and his kids. "We're looking for someone that has access to classified material."

Tony nodded his head. "We have more than just a mole in the Baltimore Police Department. We're looking at a mole in a government agency. Perhaps even here in D.C."

"Gentlemen, I don't have to tell you how much I'm tired of moles," Vance said, referring to Michelle Lee. "Do you have any leads?"

"None yet," Anderson replied. "However, we think that the sleeper cell Quadri is working for is in Los Angles, and we think he has military ties. Heard you have a team there."

"One of my best," Vance said, noticing that Anderson held a folder out to him. He took it in his hand. "What's this?"

Anderson smiled and gestured towards Tony. "A gesture of gratitude for your agents helping to save one of my best. And perhaps a long overdue _thank you _for letting this man walk away from NCIS and to work for me at the FBI."

Vance saw Tony shift uncomfortably. The former NCIS agent was a man that did not like attention on him when it was praise for his job. "He has been extremely helpful to us, even though his employment ended here. You know, Sam, if you ever get tired of him, you can always send him back."

"Not a chance, Leon," Anderson said, with a chuckle. He nodded towards Tony. "If you'll excuse us, we need to be going. I have work to do, and Tony needs to get home to rest or his wife might have my head."

"I know all about keeping a wife happy," Vance said with a smile. "Especially when they are this close to having a baby. I'll let you know if this information pans out into anything, Sam."

Anderson thanked him, and slipped out of the office with Tony, closing the door behind him. Vance sighed and glanced at the folder in his hand. He was going to have to give his team in Los Angles a call.

* * *

Leah knew that sneaking out for a walk and a coffee with Copper was going to go come back and bite her—she didn't care. After spending so much time alone in the apartment with just Tony... she needed to get out.

Copper was the perfect partner in crime for her. He wasn't going to rat her out and he was just as excited to get out of the apartment. He preferred being outside. They would probably have a couple of hours before Tony returned home from working a half-day and they were going to make the most of their freedom. The pup was eagerly waiting for her when she emerged from her favorite coffee shop.

"Beautiful dog," a man with a Middle Eastern accent said, catching her attention. "He has interesting markings."

"One of the things I fell in love with," Leah said with a smile. She started to reach down and untie Copper's leash.

The man stopped her. "Here, let me. You are obviously very close to having your baby. It must be difficult to move. My wife had trouble after she passed a certain period of time," he said as he untied the dog's leash.

Copper lunged and snapped at him. Leah quickly grabbed the leash and commanded the dog to heal. "Sorry, he's very protective. He thinks that everyone is out to get me," she said, with a laugh, even though it wasn't entirely the truth. Copper didn't snap at strangers unless he felt his humans were being threatened.

"I do not blame him," the man said with a smile. "It is a very dangerous city."

Leah suddenly felt uncomfortable. _Get away from him, _a voice warned in the back of her head. "I really should be going... my husband is expecting me at home."

He stopped her by stepping in her path. "Allow me to walk you home."

She tightened her grip on the dog's leash. Copper was growling now. "No... no thank you. I'll be fine."

Turning and heading in the opposite direction of where she needed to go, Leah was certain that the man was going to follow her. She reached into her pocket and found that she had left her cell phone at home. Panic set in and tears gathered in her eyes as she sprinted for the Metro station. If she could get there before he caught up with her, then everything would be alright.

Suddenly, she lost her footing and slipped on the ice. Leah went down hard, her knees buckling, head banging against a nearby car, and she lost Copper's leash. The world around her spun for a second as she fell to the ground. Copper started to bark, loudly, trying to draw attention to them. Almost immediately a dozen faces were in her blurred vision, asking if she was alright, checking on her—including _his. _

* * *

"I didn't know Vance thought that highly of me," Tony confessed. "He barely worked with me when I was at NCIS."

"Vance might not have worked directly with you," Gibbs said, eating his pizza. "But he kept tabs on you. Jenny, despite her craziness, did see potential in you."

"Did you see potential in me?" Tony asked, honestly. He wasn't sure why, but he needed to find out the truth.

"Of course I did. I never would have dragged you from Baltimore if I hadn't," Gibbs said, smiling at his friend.

Tony grinned and finished eating his lunch. After driving Director Anderson back to the FBI, Tony had doubled back and met up with Gibbs for pizza at their favorite place. He'd offered to pay, stating that he owed Gibbs a few meals, but the marine had refused. He glanced at his watch. "I should get home. Surprised Leah hasn't called looking for me. She was pretty upset when I told her I had to come into work for a while."

Gibbs nodded. "She's worried about you, Tony. It's obvious how much she loves you and she just wants to make sure you heal. That isn't going to happen if you're running around trying to find Quadri."

He swallowed the hateful, angry bile in his throat. Tony wanted Quadri—badly. He wanted to come face to face with the man that had sold him out, that could still sell him out and the man that posed a threat to his family. "If this was happening to you... I bet you'd feel differently."

Their conversation was interrupted by Tony's cell phone ringing. Gibbs knew that Leah had finally figured Tony had been working too long and wanted him to come home. He busied himself finding money to pay for lunch...

"Yes, I'm her husband but I'm confused... why is she at the emergency room?" Tony asked, anxiously.

Gibbs looked up from what he was doing to see Tony go pale. He quickly put the money down onto the table and grabbed the FBI agent's keys. He stood, pulling the younger man to his feet just as Tony hung up his phone. "What hospital? I'll drive you there."

Tony told him, numbly, still shocked to learn that his wife had been injured and was being treated at the ER. "I don't get it, Gibbs. I told her to stay at home. I didn't want her leaving the apartment without me. She went for a cup of coffee, apparently, and slipped on the ice."

He opened the passenger door for Tony. Gibbs could see the fear in the younger man's eyes. "Tony, she's going to be fine."

Wide eyed, Tony looked up at him. "The nurse said... the nurse said she's gone into early labor, they can't stop it now. What if... what if we lose the baby? Oh, God, what if I lose them both?"

Gibbs slammed the door shut, hopped into the car and drove madly towards the hospital. "Listen," he said, trying to offer Tony comfort. "You are _not _losing them. Promise."

"You can't promise something like that," Tony snapped, his hands starting to shake. He could not imagine his life without Leah and the baby. "She's my whole world, Gibbs. She's my reason for living... my reason for _everything._"

"And she's going to be fine," Gibbs stated. "She's close to her due date, the baby should survive birth and your wife is in good hands. Those doctors and nurses will take care of her."

Tony sighed and took a deep breath. "Ever loved someone so much, Gibbs, that sometimes it hurt?"

Gibbs felt his heart ache for Shannon, suddenly. He kept his eyes on the road, driving them closer to Leah and the baby, and whispered, "Yeah. So much that it still hurts."

* * *

Someone was talking to her, pulling her awake and Leah opened her eyes to see shadows standing over her. Blinking her eyes rapidly to help them adjust to the light, Leah was hit with the very familiar scent of Tony's cologne. "Anthony?"

Tony was suddenly in her vision, a worried expression on his face, but he was trying to smile at her. He bent to kiss her forehead, gently. "It's okay, sweetheart, I'm here," he told her, pushing her hair back and searching her eyes. "Doctors have told me that you're going to be okay. You have a mild concussion and bruised knees."

"Our baby? Is our baby okay?" Leah whimpered, tears gathering in her eyes and falling down her flushed cheeks.

"Yes, the baby is fine," Tony said, taking her hand and glancing up at the nurse. "However, the fall... the fall triggered labor."

Leah sat up in the bed and shook her head furiously. She could not be going into labor, not now; the baby wasn't ready yet! "No! It's too soon! I still have five weeks to go! Can't they stop it?"

Tony eased her back onto the pillows of the hospital bed. "No, they can't stop it. You're already six centimeters dilated and your contractions are getting closer together. Sweetheart, it's okay. I spoke to your doctor, she's on her way here. She says that the baby will be fine, it can live outside of the womb now."

"Copper! Where's Copper!" Leah sobbed, panic clearly taking over. "Oh god, he must be worried! He was barking like mad when I fell!"

"Gibbs took him home," Tony said, wiping her tears away. He pressed his lips to hers, gently.

She continued to sob. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left the apartment. I should have just stayed inside and made my own coffee. I didn't think there was any danger! And then this man started to follow me and I panicked!"

He was terrified on the inside of what this meant, but he kept a calm façade. Tony didn't want to panic her even more. "Leah, stop it. Stop blaming yourself. Truth is, we don't know when our baby would have been born. This could have happened naturally, you might have already been primed for labor when you fell. Just take some deep breaths and stop crying."

Leah did as she was told when her doctor entered the room. The older woman smiled at her and asked her if she was ready to have a baby. As a contraction swept through her body, she realized that she didn't have much of a choice.


	72. Arrival

**Warnings:** Spoilers for Season 6, implied adult content

**A/N:** OK so here it is, the birth of the baby. I went back and forth on what the baby's gender was for a LONG time. Hope you enjoy this chapter :) **Everyone has been so supportive of the story. Think you'll be seeing more AU's like this from me in the future :)**

* * *

Tim was surprised when a grainy, security photograph was dropped onto his desk. He looked up to see Gibbs standing over him. "Boss?"

Gibbs kept a stoic façade as he answered, "Run this man's photograph through AFIS."

"Sure, what's going on, boss? Did we catch a case?"

"Leah fell on the ice outside of a coffee shop; this man was the one to bring her to the hospital."

Tim's eyes went wide. He knew from Celeste that Tony had requested that Leah stay in the apartment, out of harm's way until the FBI could bring Nick Quadri in._ Of course she didn't listen, she's stubborn. _"Is Leah alright, boss?"

Gibbs nodded his head. "Yeah, she's fine. Mild concussion and bruised knees. However, the impact of the fall sent her into labor. Her doctor was on the way to the hospital when I left. I want to find the identity of this man," he said, gesturing towards the photograph. "I don't think it's coincidence that a Middle Eastern man sold Tony out to the mob and it was a Middle Eastern man that brought Leah to the hospital."

Langer had come over and joined them, out of curiosity. He glanced at Ziva's desk and noticed that she wasn't back from lunch yet. "Do you think they're the same man, Gibbs? I doubt someone like Quadri, who's being hunted by the FBI at the moment, is going to do something this stupid and bring Leah into an ER."

"His original plan was probably altered when she fell," Gibbs concluded. "Too many witnesses."

"He was going to abduct her?" Tim questioned, feeling bile rise in his throat. "What's Quadri's interest in Tony anyway? He isn't investigating any terrorist cells right now."

Glancing once again in the direction of Ziva's desk, Langer licked his lips. "I have an idea," he told the other two agents. "But you're not going to like it, Gibbs."

Gibbs could see where Langer was looking. "Do you think Ziva was involved in this?" he asked, his voice heavy.

Langer looked over at Tim, his partner's eyes revealing that he was starting to connect the dots as well. "We all know it's no secret that Ziva feels she should be with DiNozzo, that she isn't the biggest fan of Leah... she knows Nick Quadri. I'd suspect that he works for Mossad and dear old Daddy is doing his daughter a favor. Anything for his little girl right? Nothing like offing the woman who stole your daughter's love away from her."

Tim didn't want to believe that Ziva had some how been involved in Tony's abduction, and he also didn't want to believe that perhaps she was involved in an attempt to kidnap Leah. "If that was true, why hand information over to the mob about Tony?"

"Mossad is still in the business of stopping terrorists. Carvetti probably had information they needed," Langer said. "So, in order to get it, they sold Tony out."

"Eli David could careless if Tony survived his brush with the mob or not," Gibbs surmised. _He's attempting to take out everything tying Ziva here. _"Where's Ziva now?"

"Still at lunch," Tim said, shakily. He looked at his watch. "She's been gone a long time."

Gibbs growled low in his throat. If he found out that Ziva had something to do with Mossad going after Tony and Leah, she was going to find herself on a plane back to Israel and NCIS was going to be a thing of the past for her. "Until we know more, don't say anything to her. Tim, keep running that photograph. I want to know the man who brought Leah to the hospital."

Tim swallowed the nervous bile in his throat. "What if that man is Mossad, boss? What are we going to do?"

"Find out why he's in the United States and why he's targeting a federal agent and his family," Gibbs snapped.

"Should we get a protection detail for Leah and the baby?" Langer asked, seriously. "Tony will be going back to work eventually. She can't stay in the apartment forever."

"I don't want to frighten a new, young mother," Gibbs said. "We'll keep Tony appraised of the situation but try to leave Leah out of it."

Langer didn't agree with that. He felt that was putting Leah's life in danger...but Gibbs was the boss. He eyed Tim for a moment and then went back to his desk, noticing that Gibbs had taken out his cell phone and was dialing Ziva.

* * *

Ziva collapsed against her lover, panting and screaming. Burying her face against his toned chest, Ziva took a deep breath, inhaling his musky scent. He might have been late meeting her for their ritual afternoon romp, but thankfully, he had delivered.

She had been knotted up for days with sexual tension. Kick boxing, workouts—nothing was helping matters. Ziva had just needed to release the tension in the best way possible—having sex. It seemed that when he was out of town for a few days the tension was tighter, perhaps because she was thinking too much about Tony and their missed opportunity. _And how much you still want to experience a sexual encounter with him... _

Michael's hands twisted into her thick, unruly curls, and pulled her down towards him for a kiss. "Los Angles is boring without you, Ziva. There I have to work all the time; there is no time for pleasure."

"Is that why you were late?" Ziva asked, trying to catch her breath. "You had some work to do?"

"A woman needed to be brought to the hospital after falling," Michael replied honestly.

"There are paramedics for that."

"I know. I was trying to be a gentleman."

Ziva cocked an eyebrow as her skin began to cool in the chill of his hotel room. "Have you spoken to my father about someone using your undercover alias to sell Agent DiNozzo out to the mob?"

Michael sighed and kissed her again, hoping to distract her with the promise of another satisfying moment before she had to head back to the office. She responded in kind, deepening their kiss and pressing her body into his. "He promised me," the Mossad officer said between kisses, "that he was going to look into it."

Before she could ask another question, he had rolled her onto back and began to kiss her again in preparation for another encounter. Ziva could not call what he did with her lovemaking, since she didn't love him, but he was a man that surely for filled a more primal side of her. Good sex was all she could ask for...

Ziva gasped when she heard her cell phone rang. _Damnit. _Shifting so Michael was nuzzling and kissing her neck, she reached for her phone on the nightstand. "Hello?"

"_Are you coming back into work today, Officer David?" _Gibbs snarled on the other end.

"Yes, I... I... got tied up at lunch," Ziva lied, shoving Michael away from her. "I will be in soon, Gibbs."

Michael watched as she climbed out of the bed and gathered up her clothes, quickly getting dressed. "Will you be stopping by tonight?"

Ziva frowned as she pulled her pants on and buttoned them. "I do not know, Michael. It all depends on how angry Gibbs is and how late he keeps me."

"If you came back to Mossad, we would not have this issue."

"You sound like my father."

"Why are you staying here in Washington, Ziva? There is nothing for you here. He is never going to be yours," Michael stated, coldly.

"I know," Ziva replied, softly. She forced her tears back. "I need to get back to NCIS. I will hopefully see you tonight," she said, before leaving the hotel room without looking back at him. If she did look back, he would surely see the tears running down her cheeks.

* * *

For most of his life, Tony considered himself a man that could control his emotions. Sure, from time to time his temper shown brightly, especially when those he cared about were threatened, however, nothing prepared him for the swell of love in his heart when he heard his baby's cries for the very first time. Happy tears gathered in his eyes as the doctor placed the wailing infant on Leah's chest, smiling at the new mother and congratulating her on bringing a brand new baby girl into the world.

Leah smiled, tired, and with tears running down her cheeks, started to talk to the crying baby. A nurse wiped the baby clean while mother and baby were allowed to see each other for the first time. Tony, still holding onto Leah's hand, watched and marveled at the fact that _he _had a hand in bringing this little baby into the world. The tiny baby suddenly mesmerized him. She was so small and helpless. _And yours, she's your daughter, _a proud voice in the back of his head sang. _And she's the most beautiful baby in the entire world. _

Tony suddenly wanted to be the best father he could possibly be for his beautiful baby. He had read all the books with Leah, they had gone to parenting classes and seminars, but he knew that wasn't going to be enough. He needed to be a presence in his daughter's life—not absent like his father had been.

"We're going to take her to clean her up," the nurse said, lifting the baby off of Leah's chest. "She'll be right back to spend time with Mommy and Daddy."

As the baby was taken away to be cleaned up, weighed and measured, Tony leaned down and kissed Leah. His heart not only was filled with so much love for his daughter, it was also filled with love for his wife. If he didn't have her, then he wouldn't have his little girl. Leah was probably unaware of such a precious gift she had given him.

Leah closed her eyes with a smile on her face. Five hours of labor had been hard, but hearing her baby crying made it worth it. Their little girl was here, without any complications, and appeared to be healthy. She felt Tony kiss her eyelids and she smiled more broadly. Opening her eyes, she gazed at him with love and adoration. He had been calm and strong during the five hours of labor; her rock. "I love you," she breathed, exhausted.

Tony pressed his lips to hers, using his free hand to push her damp hair back. His ribs ached as he did so, but at this point, he didn't really care about the discomfort that his injuries were giving him. "I love you too," he said, smiling at her.

She searched his face for a few seconds, her blue eyes reflecting her emotions, and immediately she knew that he was in pain. Her Tony, always sacrificing himself for her well-being. "You should ask the doctor for some pain killers."

He laughed, silently. "And have both us drugged up when we hold our daughter for the first time? I'm fine. Once we get you settled into a recovery room I'll look into getting some Advil."

"You have a healthy baby girl," the nurse announced returning with their newborn now swaddle in a pink blanket. "She weighs five pounds, nine ounces, and she's nineteen inches long. Would Daddy like a turn holding her?"

"I'm... I'm not very good with babies," Tony blurted, which was the truth. He had very little experience holding a baby. "Maybe... maybe Mommy would like another turn first?"

"Anthony, you have to learn how to hold her," Leah said, gently. "The nurse will help you. I promise she isn't going to break."

Carefully and gently the nurse instructed him what to do and his daughter was placed in his arms. Tony relaxed once the baby was settled into his embrace and smiled down at her. Little eyes opened and gazed at him. "Hi peanut, look at you... you look just like your mother. So beautiful..."

The baby yawned and stretched, promptly closing her eyes and falling back to sleep. Tony gently pressed a kiss to the baby's soft, downy head. He'd been told that he was going to instantly fall in love with his child, but even he was amazed by how fast his daughter had captured his heart.

Leah sighed, obviously covering up the fact that she was crying, and pulled his attention away from the baby. His wife's blue eyes were filled with tears and several were struggling to be released.

"Why are you crying?" Tony asked her, smiling.

"I don't know," Leah answered, honestly. "Guess I'm just really emotional right now."

Tony gazed down at his daughter, still sleeping peacefully in his arms. "See that, baby girl. You've already made both Mommy and Daddy cry today."

The nurse chuckled next to him. "Does _baby girl _have a name? We'll be bringing her back to the nursery for a bit while Mommy gets settled into a recovery room. The nurses back there like to know the little ones' names."

Leah reached out and asked that Tony hand her their baby. He gently put the little girl in her mother's arms. The baby's eyes opened to look at her mother. Leah smiled at her daughter and sighed, "We haven't narrowed a name down yet. She's a bit early," Leah said. "I thought I was going to have a few more weeks."

"What about Lily? Your favorite flower, you were admiring them when we first met," Tony sputtered, and then quickly shied away. "Forget it. That's a stupid idea."

"No it's not! I love it!" Leah exclaimed, grinning. "I think Lily is the perfect name. Lily Amelia DiNozzo." She leaned down and kissed her baby on the cheek. "Hello, Lily."

Lily fussed, letting out little cries as she squirmed in the swaddle. The nurse suggested that it was probably time to try feeding her. Tony stood by and watched as his wife breastfed their baby for the first time. Lily was certainly a DiNozzo with how quickly she had latched on and was sucking down her first meal. He could have stood there all day when his cell phone buzzed in his pocket.

Tony leaned over and kissed Leah on top of her head. "I'll be right back, bella."

Leah nodded her head and continued to smile while Lily happily ate, chatting with the nurse about her hungry little baby.

"Probie," Tony said as he stepped out into the hallway, "this better be an emergency."

"_Gibbs told us about Leah. Is she okay? Is the baby okay?" _Tim frantically asked.

"Leah is fine and the baby is fine," Tony answered.

"_Is the baby here yet?" _Celeste suddenly asked, making Tony realize he was on speakerphone.

He laughed and glanced back into the delivery room where Leah was finishing up feeding Lily and they were preparing to move both mother and baby to a recovery room for the evening. "Yes, the baby is here."

Celeste let out a little squeal. "_Is it a boy or a girl, Tony?" _

"A girl. Her name is Lily."

"_Lily! I love it!" _

"Listen, I have to go. They're moving Leah upstairs...I'll call you tomorrow."

"_Wait Tony—," _Tim started to say but Tony hung up on him.

Putting his cellphone back into his pocket, he pushed the door to the delivery room open and stepped inside. "That was Tim and Celeste. They say _hi _and Celeste loves her name, by the way."

Leah smiled. "They brought Lily up to the nursery so I could sleep. You'll go check on her in a bit, right?"

Tony leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Promise, I will," he said, giving her hand a squeeze before the nurses helped Leah out of the delivery chair and into a wheel chair. He held his wife's hand on the way to the elevator and to her recovery room. Staying with her until she fell asleep, which, since she was exhausted, was the moment her head hit the pillows.


	73. Home

**A/N:** Sorry for the long wait. Here's the next update! Enjoy!

* * *

Ziva stood in front of the glass, watching the nurses take care of all the babies. Her dark brown eyes had not left the sweet little girl, a yearning so deep in her heart that it was making her want to burst into tears. Lily DiNozzo, only a few days old, lay fast asleep in the bassinet, swaddled in a pink blanket. How close had Ziva come to being the mother of that child? If she hadn't been so foolish...

Tony's presence startled her slightly, his quiet strength had a way of filling a small space. "What are you doing here, Ziva?" he asked, his voice tired but content. "Shouldn't you be at NCIS?"

"I was on my way in this morning and decided to stop by to see the baby," Ziva replied, glancing at him. "She is... she is beautiful."

"She is beautiful, just like her mother," Tony said, gently, with a smile. "If all goes well today we'll be able to bring her home tonight."

Ziva ran her tongue over her lips. She envied him. He had a family, a daughter, a loving spouse... she wanted those things desperately and was never going to get them thanks to Mossad. How could she? "So, arriving five weeks early didn't have any complications?"

Tony shook his head. "No, thankfully. The doctor is going to want to see her more, just to track her progress, but she's a good little eater; responds to her mother and I, and has no problems letting us know when she's unhappy."

"How is Leah? Tim said that she fell on the ice," Ziva said.

"Sore, but fine. FBI is running a photograph of the man that followed her," Tony replied. "He was Middle Eastern; it might be the same guy that turned me over to the mob."

Ziva's heart leapt into her throat. Michael had been late meeting her the day the baby had been born because he had brought a woman to the hospital... a woman that fell on the ice. Even though she wanted to believe it was coincidence she knew that it wasn't. Michael had been the one following Leah. "I'm sure... I'm sure the FBI will figure it out."

Tony could see the change in her demeanor. "Are you okay, Ziva?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," she replied, turning to go. "I should be getting to work. Congratulations, Tony."

Hurrying towards the elevator, Ziva pushed all the horrible thoughts running through her mind out of it. She knew her father wasn't the nicest person in the world, but he wouldn't go after an innocent woman and a baby...and Michael would never hurt Leah. Perhaps, Michael was there looking for the man using his alias and happened to see Leah go down. Yes, that was what happened, she told herself, because that was the only way to make this entire situation acceptable.

* * *

Celeste was absolutely in love with Lily, from the moment she got to hold her for the first time. "She's perfect," the young woman said, sweetly. "And like a little China doll. I'm so very glad we do not have to wait until February to meet you!"

Tim chuckled and gestured towards the kitchen in Tony's apartment. "We made a couple of casseroles for you guys. That way you don't have to worry about cooking for a few days. Oh, and Gibbs said that he was going to drop by tomorrow with Hollis. He wanted to give you some space."

Tony dropped into his favorite easy chair. It had been a long seventy-two hours but he was content. He reached down and scratched Copper behind the ears. The dog was keeping a watchful eye on Celeste and the baby. When the young couple had brought Lily into the apartment they had given the dog a moment to sniff the newcomer and get to know her scent. He was surprisingly gentle with the baby and not so surprisingly protective. He'd growled at Tim when he thought the NCIS agent was getting too close. "I hope he brings steak. That hospital food was the worst."

Leah shook her head and pulled her favorite blanket around her midsection. "I told him that he could have gone to get something to eat instead of what the hospital gave us, he didn't listen."

"I didn't want you to be alone in that hospital room," Tony argued.

"Lily and I would have been fine for fifteen minutes while you went to get a slice of pizza," Leah argued right back.

He didn't want to say it out loud, but Tony was worried for her safety, and now the safety of Lily. "Good thing McGee brought me a giant casserole of Celeste's macaroni and cheese," he said with a grin. "I can't wait to dig into that one."

Lily yawned and stretched in Celeste's arms and then let out a little whimper, which soon turned into wails. Celeste handed her back to her mother. Immediately the infant calmed when she heard her mother's voice and went to sleep.

Tony had quickly grown fond of watching Leah interact with Lily; he loved how she talked to the baby, how she sang the baby to sleep every night. His wife was a natural, which was the exact opposite of him, but he was learning.

Leah slowly got up and went to lay Lily down in the nursery. Copper got up from his spot next to Tony's chair and followed her. Since bringing the baby home the dog had very rarely let the baby out of his sight.

"So, guess it's a good thing you're on medical leave," Tim said with a little timid smile. "You can help Leah with the baby."

"Kept her mother from coming down to stay with us," Tony joked, sipping his coffee.

"I thought you liked her parents?" Celeste asked.

"I do, but Katherine can be a bit overwhelming at times. We have enough on our plate right now," Tony answered.

There was no denying that, Tim realized. Lily had arrived five weeks early and her parents had not been fully prepared. Thankfully the nursery had been set up and Leah had mostly everything she needed to care for the baby. Celeste had stopped at the store to get the rest. She wasn't going to show up at Tony and Leah's empty handed... well, they hadn't been empty handed, they had brought food.

Celeste was always helping out whenever she could. It was one thing that Tim loved about her and knowing that Leah or Tony had no family nearby, it fell on them to help the young parents settle in.

Leah returned to the living room, holding the baby monitor in her hand and she slowly sat down on the sofa, wincing in pain. "She should sleep for another couple of hours."

Tony glanced at his watch. "You should go take a nap then. Remember, the doctor told you to sleep when the baby did."

"We have company," Leah argued.

"You know what, Leah, we should be going anyways," Celeste said, quietly. "We have dinner reservations."

"I'll walk you out," Tony said, getting up. He waited while Tim and Celeste said their goodbyes to Leah, and then followed them to them to the apartment. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that Leah had fallen asleep. "Listen, thanks for bringing that stuff we needed by...and the food."

"Hey, it was the least we could do since the baby decided to show up a little ahead of schedule," Celeste said with a smile. "She is definitely your child, Tony. She doesn't stick to the plan; she creates her own."

Tony chuckled. He knew how much Leah liked having a plan. "Do you think you guys could stop by later next week? There's something... there's something Leah and I want to discuss with you."

Tim helped Celeste into her coat. "Sure, if you think you'll be settled enough for us to come by."

He looked over his shoulder at Leah once again. Tony sighed and smiled, tiredly. "Are we ever going to be _settled _again?"

"Good point," Tim said, chuckling. He opened the door the apartment and promised to call Tony to set up a night for dinner.

Closing the door behind his friends, Tony turned towards the living room and went to fall back into his easy chair. He laughed, silently, at Leah curled up under a blanket, the baby monitor clutched tightly in her hand. Their life might have been turned completely upside down by Lily arriving early, but Tony wouldn't change a damn thing.

* * *

"Oh, Lily," Tony said, rubbing his eyes when he stepped into the nursery early the next morning. "We really need to talk about your method of waking up Mommy and Daddy."

Lily, little fists balled up, continued to wail. Tony leaned down into the crib and gently scooped her out. Giving her a little kiss, he carried her to the changing table where he proceeded to change her into a clean diaper. Almost immediately, once she was clean, Lily stopped crying.

Tony wiped the tears off of her cheeks. "I really don't like it when you cry," he told her before picking her up off the changing table. "I know there's nothing I can do to change that right now..."

She cooed a little, her big eyes fixated on him. Tony smiled at her. While there was no denying the bond that Lily shared with Leah, Tony was beginning to realize that his little daughter was bonding with him every time he got up to take care of her. His heart filled with so much love for this tiny little being at this thought as he stepped into the kitchen.

Leah had left a few bottles already prepared with breast milk she had pumped earlier. Tony warmed one up, noticing that Copper had appeared; right on his heels to make sure that his baby was all right. "She's fine," he told the dog, "just hungry."

Grabbing the warmed bottle, Tony went to the living room and his easy chair—that had quickly become Lily's feeding chair. He situated himself in the chair and then helped guide the bottle into Lily's mouth. Eagerly the baby began to suck down her breakfast and Copper plopped down across Tony's feet.

"I see that Lily's guard dog isn't too far away from her, huh?" Leah questioned, whimsically as she came into the living room. She kissed her husband on the cheek. "Hi."

"Hi. You should still be sleeping," Tony informed her. "Wasn't that the whole point of me getting up to get Lily?"

"Somewhat," Leah replied as she went into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee and feed Copper. "But you need to bond with her too."

Tony smiled down at the little baby in his arms and saw the trust in her eyes. He smiled at the baby and sighed, "I think we're bonding just fine."


	74. Suspicions

**Warnings:** Spoilers for Season 6

**A/N:** Sorry for the long wait on this story. I had extreme writer's block. But I'm back writing in this verse again. Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Ziva shivered, her feet getting wet in the slush as she stood in the dark outside her apartment building waiting for Michael. It had taken her nearly two weeks to get in touch with him. She suspected he had gone back to Los Angles to continue to complete whatever mission her father had him on and she really didn't need to know what he was doing; she didn't _want _to know what he was doing. She just needed to know that _he _wasn't responsible for Leah DiNozzo going into labor early.

Michael appeared, grinning seductively at her and she would be lying if she said it didn't get her pulse racing. However, she hadn't called him for any sexual favors. Not this time. If this conversation led to that she wouldn't complain...

He obviously had sex on the brain because he came at her rough, mouth closing in over hers and kissing her to the point that he nearly devoured her.

She backed way, panting and held a hand up. "I did not call you for sex. I called… to talk."

"Talk?" Michael repeated, disappointed. "Ziva I do a lot of talking for the job. Please. There are other more enjoyable things I'd rather be doing with you right now."

"Special Agent DiNozzo's wife was taken to the hospital two weeks ago by a man matching your description," Ziva said. "She was approached by that same man and frightened. Why are you interested in her?"

Michael frowned and shoved his hands into his pockets, realizing that Ziva was not going to give him what he wanted. "I happened to be at the café and noticed her dog. Given what happened with her husband just a few days before, perhaps it was not very smart of me to approach her. I am sorry that she got hurt. The baby is okay though?"

Ziva swallowed the nervous bile in her throat. "Yes, the baby is fine. She was born five weeks early but will live a healthy, normal life. Has my father found out who was using your cover name to turn Tony over to the mob?"

He shook his head. "Not yet. He is looking into it, I promise. Now?" Michael asked, going in to kiss her again, "Are we done talking?"

She had lots of questions she wanted to ask but found that her body was betraying her. Ziva grasped his face between her hands and pressed her mouth to his in a deep, lust filled kiss. "Yes," she gasped when they broke apart, "yes we are done talking for now."

Quickly, in the middle of their touching and kissing, Ziva found the key to her apartment and let them inside the building, where they stumbled up the stairs and fell into bed together.

* * *

"I'm concerned about Ziva," Tim stated.

"What do you mean?" Tony asked.

"It's this new guy she's seeing," Tim confessed. "Abby said he goes away for long periods of time and when he comes back… it's like Ziva is a different woman."

Tony dipped a french fry into some ketchup. "Is this why you asked me to lunch? Are you worried that Ziva's in some kind of abusive relationship? Come on, probie, do you really think our little ninja would let someone beat the crap out of her?"

Tim shook his head. "No. But I don't think it's like that. We always know when he's in town because she disappears for long stretches throughout the day. You don't have to be a federal agent to put two and two together to figure out what's going on."

He grinned and waggled his eyebrows. "Sounds like one and one _are _being put together if you catch my drift."

Glaring at his former partner, Tim pushed his lunch plate away. "Which is exactly my point. Ziva isn't like this."

"You mean she isn't interested in sex?"

"Well no… of course she's…interested… but this interested that she's neglecting her job?"

"Maybe he's that good."

"Really? Is that your answer? He's that good in bed?"

Tony chuckled and finished his lunch. "You've never called Celeste in the middle of the day and met her on her lunch break?"

Tim looked a little horrified at the thought. "Have you?"

"Called Celeste? No, but I do have a wife to call to meet during my lunch break."

"So this is just… normal? You don't find this startling at all?"

He thought back to the last time he had seen Ziva, at the hospital two and half weeks ago. She had been anxious, distant almost, but he thought that was because of their somewhat strained relationship. Tony, however, knew it would not be a good idea to ask Ziva about her sex life. He'd been threatened with a paper clip a few times for even daring to do so. "What does Gibbs think?"

Sighing, Tim looked out the window for a moment. When he looked back at Tony, he set his jaw. "Gibbs notices when she's gone and he isn't happy about it. Everything is tense in the bullpen right now. She knows when she disappears that it makes Gibbs angry and yet she's still doing it… no pun intended."

Tony had suffered the wrath of Gibbs on several occasions but the former marine definitely was softer when it came to the females. "Follow that probie gut, Timmy. If you think this is more than just a romantic rendezvous, dig deeper."

"Even if it has deadly consequences," Tim said half seriously, half-jokingly.

"Even then," Tony said with a shrug. "Besides, I'm sure it's really nothing."

"I hope you're right," Tim said. _Not sure how much more betrayal NCIS can take. _

"Well, if I'm not, I'll probably be getting a call," Tony replied, frowning.

Tim had not considered that but if it was found out that Ziva was working on something behind NCIS' back, the FBI would probably be called in and right now Tony seemed to be the most preferred agent to work with NCIS. "Provided of course that your back from your medical slash paternity leave."

Tony laughed and nodded. "Yeah. I'm not sure what's harder right now. The fact that I can still barely move or that I have a newborn baby to help care for."

He grinned. "Did you ever think you'd be a father? I sure as hell didn't."

Mocking a glare, Tony snapped. "Always thought if I found the right girl…"

"Well you did—find the right girl."

"She is pretty awesome."

Tossing some money onto the table, Tony wiped his mouth with a napkin. "And speaking of that pretty awesome girl, she'll be expecting me home soon so she can catch up on her sleep."

Tim watched as his best friend rose from the table. Who knew they would become so close? "Still on for Friday night?"

"Yes," Tony said before he walked towards his car. "I have a pretty big question I need to ask you."

* * *

Gibbs was surprised when Tony wasn't home. He was pretty certain that Tony wasn't going to let Leah and the baby out of his sight after what happened two weeks ago. Copper seemed to have taken up Tony's protective tendencies, laying right near Lily's portable crib. The NCIS agent smiled, softly, at the dog as he stepped inside the apartment.

Copper lifted his head to see who it was, but then laid right back down when he assessed that it was Gibbs and the man was not a threat to his humans.

Leah looked tired, her hair was a bit messy, and she was dressed in sweats, but she was smiling. "I'm sorry that the place is a mess."

"You have your hands full—a newborn baby and Tony," Gibbs said, smiling. "Surprised he isn't here."

"He went to lunch with Tim," Leah replied, pulling her sweatshirt down over her stomach. "They've been meeting once a week for a while now."

Gibbs was glad that Tony and Tim had developed a strong friendship. He would never admit it out loud, but Tony was the real reason McGee became the agent he was. Taking a deep breath, he moved towards the portable crib and glancing at Copper, asked, "Is it all right if I hold her?"

Leah laughed softly when the dog yapped happily and wagged his tail, as if he really was giving Gibbs permission to hold the baby. She watched as the NCIS agent gently scooped the baby up into his arms and talked gently to her. He was such a natural with kids. Tony was good with Lily, but he was still learning—Gibbs on the other hand could probably teach a class on how to be with babies.

Lily opened her eyes and stretched her hand out to Gibbs; a hand that was concealed in her much too big pink shirt. Gibbs took her hand and kissed it. "DiNozzo's right, she does look like you, Leah."

"She eats like him," Leah quipped.

"Good thing," Gibbs said, chuckling. "She needs to keep eating to get big and strong."

"Has anyone found the man that approached me?" she asked, anxiously.

Turning to face her, Gibbs sighed and shook his head. "Don't worry, Leah. FBI has promised me they're doing everything they can to find him."

Her eyes filled with fear for a moment. "Are Lily and I in danger? Tony seems to think so; he rarely leaves me alone in the apartment and he doesn't want me leaving the apartment without him."

Gibbs could understand her fear, especially now that she a daughter to think about. "Tony wouldn't let anything happen to you or the baby." _He'd take a bullet for you. _

Leah nodded and sat down, folding her hands in her lap. "I know," she said, quietly. "But it's hard enough knowing that he puts his life on the line every day. Now, I have to worry about him sacrificing for me or Lily."

Lily whimpered and squirmed in Gibbs' arms, signaling that she was probably hungry. Gently he handed the baby to her mother and Leah went to feed her, excusing herself to the nursery for discretion.

Gibbs sat down on the sofa and looked around the apartment. Copper came over looking for a scratch behind his ears. The lead agent obliged him, thinking about Tony and his family, and determined to make sure they were not torn apart like his had been.


	75. Puzzle Pieces

**Warnings:** Spoilers for "Legends"

**A/N:** Happy to see that people are happy that this story is back :) Hope you enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

On Friday night, Tim knocked on Tony's door. Celeste was out of town at a conference and it felt weird coming by the apartment without her. Tim had spent little time at Tony's over the years by himself. Either Abby, then later Celeste, came with him.

Certainly his relationship with Tony had changed since the FBI agent had left NCIS. They had become best friends.

"Hey, come on in," Tony greeted with a smile. "Leah just put the baby down for the night."

"Guess we'll have to keep the noise down," Tim joked stepping inside.

Tony laughed softly and took his friend's jacket, hanging it up in the closet near the door. "Yeah. I don't see this dinner party getting too wild and crazy. After all, it's being hosted by two very exhausted new parents right now."

Tim chuckled and made his way towards the sofa. He could only imagine how tiring raising a baby was. "Good thing Gibbs trained you to stay up all night solving cases. Otherwise, this might be a harder transition than you thought."

His former partner shrugged. "Good point. Right now, I'm not seeing a real difference in the lack of sleep I got working for Gibbs and the lack of sleep I get taking care of Lily. Feels about the same. I never realized all that time Gibbs was just preparing me for fatherhood."

"You make a pretty great dad, Tony," Tim assured him.

"Thanks," Tony whispered. He sat down with Tim. "Listen, before Leah comes back… there was something I've been meaning to ask you."

"Sure. What is it?"

"Leah's parents are adamant that we have Lily baptized," Tony informed him.

"Tony… I'm not a priest," Tim joked.

"No," Tony replied, seriously, "but they asked me to choose the baby's godfather. Leah has already asked Celeste to be Lily's godmother."

Tim blinked, suddenly realizing what Tony was asking of him. "Me? You want me to be Lily's godfather?"

Tony laughed and waved his hands in the air. "Yes, you! You're the closest friend I have and the closest person I have to a brother. Why not you?"

"What about Gibbs?"

"Gibbs and I are friends, but our friendship is more professional than personal."

Tim thought about that for a moment and realized it was probably true. He glanced at Tony's expectant look on his face, the almost silent plea in his green eyes—it left Tim with very little choice in what he was going to say. "I would be honored to be Lily's godfather."

Tony surprised him then by engulfing him in a bear hug that rivaled Abby's. Tim chuckled to himself. When Tony had left NCIS he had been certain that they would lose their "family" but in reality, Tony leaving had made their family stronger. Both men were certainly happy to be a part of this crazy, thrown together family, and neither one of them would change a thing.

* * *

By the time Lily was five months old, she had been on a number of trips to Boston, one to Vermont, and one to Cape Cod. She had also been baptized at the same church that her mother had been, wearing Leah's christening gown. Their life had settled considerably since the baby had been born. Things had certainly quieted down and there had not been any more suspicious sightings of the man that sent Leah to the hospital.

Tony had gone back to work just after the baby was christened. He still found himself on edge in those early months being back on the job, but now, two months later, he felt his edge dulling. Until one spring morning when Greg came into his office with a scowl on his face.

"Did you happen to catch the news this morning?" the senior agent asked.

"No. Leah refused to have the news on when Lily is present," Tony replied. "Why? What's going on?"

"Dead marine strung up for all of D.C to see," Greg replied. "Same guy that NCIS put a BOLO out for a couple of days ago."

His brow furrowed as he tried to recall it. So many BOLO's crossed his desk some days he got cross-eyed. "The one the OSP was searching for? Why did he end up in D.C?"

Greg shrugged his shoulders. "Couldn't get that information when I called NCIS earlier. However, I did learn from a contact over at the OSP that their guy might have been involved in some kind of terrorist ring. Told the source that this was FBI territory but he laughed, told me I should bring that up Director Vance."

Tony scratched behind his ear and chuckled. "Until NCIS gives us a call, let's keep our noses clean. But make sure you keep it on our radar… you never know…"

"Speaking of that… my source said he heard of a Mossad presence in L.A," Greg said, "You know anything about that?"

"News to me. If it is Mossad, it's illegal for them to be operating on U.S soil," Tony answered. _I'm worried about Ziva, _Tim had confided in him months ago. "Let me call McGee… he seemed worried about Ziva a few months back, like she was getting herself into some kind of trouble."

"Think she's selling secrets behind NCIS' back?"

"No, but she does technically still work for Mossad… anything is possible."

Greg grunted and went back to work, leaving Tony sitting at his desk pondering their discussion. He picked the phone up and dialed McGee's number. He knew that Tim would be busy with their case but he needed to speak to him.

It only took two rings and then Tim answered. "_Tony this isn't a good time._"

Tony sighed and rubbed his temple. "I know about Chandler. The OSP sent a BOLO to all law enforcement. Crossed my desk two days ago. Weapons dealers, Tim, are FBI material. Unless of course… Gibbs is trying to protect his own."

Tim was nervously shuffling some papers around and Tony knew he had hit the nail on the head. _"We can't confirm a Mossad officer in L.A." _

"So, Gibbs isn't trying to protect Ziva by keeping this case?"

"_Gibbs and I are headed to Los Angeles in about an hour to work with the OSP on _their _case." _

"Tim, if Ziva knows what's going on with Mossad…"

"_I know, Tony. Langer's looking into it while we're away. I have to go." _

Tony didn't get another word in. Tim had hung up the phone. Frowning at the phone in his hand he decided that he had another course of action that he could take. Grabbing his keys, his badge, and his gun, he told Greg and Debra that he was going for coffee.

As his feet hit the pavement outside of the Hoover Building, he sent a single text message to Miss David. _Meet me at D.C Beans, ASAP. _ There was more than one way to get to the bottom of this entire thing. His gut was screaming that the dead marine, rumors of Mossad in Los Angeles, Nick Quaderi, and Ziva's strange behavior were all connected. It was time to put the messy puzzle back together.

* * *

Leah put the baby into the jogging stroller, secured the belt and straps around her, and with Copper's leash in hand, headed out for an early afternoon jog. It had been tricky learning to maneuver the stroller and the dog when she got back into jogging, but now it was fairly easy.

Copper knew enough to stay at her side and away from the wheels so his leash wouldn't get tangled. She also noticed that the dog was a bit more relaxed on their jogs, especially when his first time out with them he had growled and barked loudly at someone that got too close to his humans, upsetting Lily.

If there was one thing the dog hated, besides threats to his masters, it was Lily crying. As per usual, about a mile into the jog, Lily was sound asleep in the stroller.

Leah took the opportunity to push herself to do another mile. Normally, once the baby did fall asleep she would turn around and go back home. Today, she was in the mood to go further. Copper didn't get his run in this morning because Tony had been working late the night before. She owed the dog another mile and a half at least.

They stopped at a street corner just before entering the park so both Leah and Copper could take a drink of water. She always made sure she had a water for the dog as well as herself. As she used a small hand towel to wipe the sweat from her brow she happened to spot them across the street—Ziva and the man that had approached her the day Lily was born.

Panic set in and Leah quickly turned the stroller and Copper in the opposite direction, heading home before the pair could see her. She knew that the man was still around D.C, one didn't just disappear, but she never thought in a million years that Ziva would have been involved in selling Tony out.

* * *

Tony wasn't surprised when Ziva didn't show at the coffee house. He also wasn't surprised that she didn't answer his text messages or phone calls. _She's avoiding you. _

She had been avoiding him since Lily had been born, Tony concluded as he unlocked his apartment door. Tim was right—this new _boyfriend _certainly was causing the Mossad officer to act strange. Slamming the door shut, he put his gear away and looked in the direction of the living room. "Bella?"

Leah timidly emerged from the nursery. "Hi."

Tony was instantly concerned. "Leah, everything alright? Did something happen today?"

"No… just… just I saw _him,"_ she whimpered, tears springing to her eyes.

"Where?" Tony asked in a protective growl. "Did he come near you again?"

"He didn't see me," Leah assured him. "He was having lunch… his back… his back was too me."

It was of little relief to Tony that she had not been seen or approached. Knowing that the bastard was back in D.C, Tony wanted him more than ever—before Leah or Lily got hurt. "Was he with someone? This is important, Leah, it might help us find him and arrest him."

Her eyes quickly darted away, refusing to look at him. "He was with a woman. It looked like… it looked like a date. They were holding hands."

Tony was nervous that she wasn't making eye contact with him. Had she seen the man with someone they knew? "What did she look like?"

Leah clenched her fists against her thighs. "Ziva."

"She looked like Ziva?"

"No… it was Ziva."

Fury must have erupted inside his eyes, because Tony noticed that Leah took a step back from him. It was no wonder Ziva was avoiding him! She was involved with the man that had sold Tony out to the mob, had followed his wife and frightened her to the point that she felt threatened enough to flee… his daughter had come early because of this man. _And Ziva is in a relationship with him! _ "You need to stay in the apartment, no sneaking out this time, Leah."

Blinking back her tears, Leah nodded her head. She knew the danger that they were in and she didn't want to put Lily at further risk by venturing out when Tony didn't want her too. "I promise. I won't leave the apartment without you this time."

Tony strode towards her and pulled her close with one arm. He used the other to find his cell phone and call Gibbs—the NCIS agent should have landed in Los Angles by now. When the former marine answered the phone, Tony wasn't so pleasant, in fact he was rather demanding, "I need to speak to Ziva and I'm not taking _no _for answer Gibbs."


	76. Blurred Lines

**Warnings** Spoilers for Season 6

**A/N: **Happy Thursday! Edited this chapter when I was half asleep, so any mistakes, please feel free to PM me. Enjoy!

**amaia-**_Glad you found the new chapters! _

* * *

Gibbs could almost feel the fire burning his skin through Tony's breath as they spoke on the phone. "You don't need my permission to speak to her," he finally told the fuming FBI agent when he could get a word in edgewise.

Tony was breathing hard, enraged obviously at the news that Ziva was involved with the man threatening his family. "_I wasn't asking permission… this is a courtesy call, Agent Gibbs, because we're old pals, right? Well… consider yourself warned that I'm going to be dragging one of your agents down to the FBI for interrogation."_

"Hey," Gibbs snapped, fists clenched, "Don't get sassy with me, DiNozzo. I'm just as pissed as you are!"

"_Really? You are?" _Tony countered, not calming down.

He noticed that Tim was hovering near him. Gibbs waved the young man away. Whatever he had to say could wait. Gibbs wasn't in charge of this crazy operation anyways, Lara Macy was, and right now she was monitoring the undercover team at the motel. "Yeah I'm pissed," he growled, "She lied to me too, you know. Swore up and down she didn't know who Nick Quaderi was or the man who approached Leah was."

It was obvious this conversation was not calming Tony down at all. The beast had been unleashed from its cage and it was stalking. "_If I find out she knew this guy was targeting Leah, I'm going to ship her back to Israel myself."_

Gibbs frowned. Well, shipping Ziva back to Israel involved a bit of paperwork… "DiNozzo, promise me one thing—don't go making this an even bigger problem than it already is."

"_What's that supposed to mean?" _Tony yelled.

"Boss," McGee tried interrupting to no avail. Gibbs waved him off again.

"It means, Tony, it's already a mess. Don't go making it messier."

"_Too late for that! Ziva made it messier by involving herself with this guy! I'm just doing my job and cleaning it up!" _

"Boss… I really need to talk to you."

"What McGee?" Gibbs yelled at him, covering the cell phone.

"Callen made contact with the weapons dealer. He claims he's Mossad," McGee answered, nervously. "He told us to speak to Ziva."

_Son of a bitch. I didn't want things to get messier! _Gibbs could still hear Tony squawking in his ear, but he wasn't sure what was being said. He pursed his lips and quietly told McGee he'd be right there. Removing his hand from the phone, he informed DiNozzo that he had to go. "Something's come up with this case."

Tony wasn't done yet and he didn't appreciate the fact that Gibbs was going to brush him off. "_Wait, I'm not done talking to you!" _

Gibbs winced as he hung up the phone. _Sorry, Anthony. _He followed behind McGee and back into the main room where a video feed showed Macy's agents standing around a middle eastern man. He blinked a few times and said underneath his breath, "Find that photograph we have of the man that brought Leah to the hospital."

McGee looked at him with anxious green eyes. "You think Mossad was the one following Leah?" _Did Mossad turn Tony over to the mob? _

"I think there's a whole other game at play here that we aren't even aware of yet, McGee," Gibbs said with a scowl.

"What about Ziva?" McGee asked.

"Let me deal with her… before Tony tears her to shreds in the morning," Gibbs replied.

Eyes darting between Macy, who was growing suspicious of them by the second, and Gibbs, McGee nodded and went to find a computer to access his files.

Gibbs strode closer and asked to be patched through to MTAC in the Navy Yard. Ziva was going to have to stop lying right here, right now, if she wanted his help.

* * *

Early the following morning Tony found a fresh cup of coffee, fixed just the way he liked it in his travel mug and fresh blueberry muffins on the counter waiting for him.

Leah was washing out the baby bottles while Lily played in her bouncy seat on the floor. They had not spoken much the night before. Tony had been so furious that he had placed himself in the corner of the dining room, away from his wife and daughter. She had learned not to approach him when he was that angry…

"Did you bake these after Lily's three in the morning feeding?" Tony asked, picking up a muffin.

"Baking helps me relax. Lily wasn't going to sleep," Leah confessed. "And I needed to relax."

Tony fixed his coffee while looking at her, apologetically. "I'm sorry, Leah. You got caught in the cross-hairs of my anger last night… I shouldn't have done that to you."

Leah put the bottles away and shrugged her shoulders. "I understand why you're angry. She was… is… your friend, and if she knew what her boyfriend was doing, well, I would feel betrayed too."

Betrayed was exactly how he was feeling. Tony knew that his relationship with Ziva had been rocky since he had gotten married but he never imagined that she would willingly want to hurt him or hurt his family. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned…"

She glanced over her shoulder at him, hair sliding over her face and covering one side. Leah briefly wondered if this whole thing had anything to do with the fact that Ziva had feelings for him; feelings that were never going to be reciprocated.

Tony finished his coffee and glanced at his watch. Grabbing a muffin, he moved across the kitchen, knelt down to kiss the baby on her head which made her smile, and then stood to give Leah a kiss. "Remember, no leaving the apartment. The Johnson boy down the hall is going to walk Copper. And if you see anything suspicious around the building—call me."

Leah nodded, quietly. She was terrified of being here alone but Tony had a job to do—he could not staying with her in the apartment just to keep her mind at ease. "Promise. You'll be the first person I call if anything is out of the ordinary."

"I'll have Debra or Greg come back later to check in," Tony promised her. "Lee, we're going to be fine."

"I think I'll believe that when this is all over," Leah said, tears in her eyes.

Tony vowed then and there that he was going to stop this for her, keep her safe—keep Lily safe—no matter what the cost.

* * *

Director Vance was promising him full cooperation on Miss David's part; Tony wasn't sure he'd necessarily get it. Although, the fact that she was waiting in the interrogation room at NCIS when he arrived was a promising start. He had no doubt that Gibbs had already spoken to her, maybe had her promise to be on her best behavior for him.

Ziva glanced up at the two FBI agents as they entered the room, Greg closing the door behind him. She had been prepared for this moment when Gibbs had her identify Michael in MTAC the night before. He'd warned her that the FBI was going to want to speak to her, and even though he had not mentioned Tony by name she knew it would be Tony that the FBI sent.

Tony had fire in his eyes as he straightened his cuffs. "My wife saw something interesting on her run yesterday afternoon," he opened, coldly. "Any guesses to what she saw?"

"It is a big city, with a lot of people," Ziva replied, with a shrug, "She could have seen any number of things. I do not have a guess."

"She saw you with the man that approached her outside the coffee shop," Tony snapped. Her brown eyes went wide for a moment. Tony ground his teeth. "The man that scared her half to death and sent her to the hospital, where she went into early labor. My daughter is lucky to be alive and healthy."

Ziva swallowed the bitter tasting bile in her throat. Leah spotting her with Michael and recognizing him confirmed her fears—that Michael was involved in _something _concerning Tony and his family. She just didn't want to believe that he had been the one to turn Tony over to the mob. "The man I was with is a Mossad Officer… a friend… he had no intentions of hurting Leah that day, he really did want to help her."

Tony clenched his fists at his sides. "Well, you work for Gibbs… I_ worked _for Gibbs. We both know that he doesn't believe in coincidences—neither do I. Director Vance tells me that Gibbs is holding your boyfriend in Los Angeles… what do you think he's going to uncover?"

Greg noticed that Ziva wasn't going to answer. He offered one up. "I think he's going to uncover that your boyfriend is here doing illegal work and that your dear old dad has something to do with everything that's happened to the DiNozzo family since the beginning of the year."

"My father might be a bastard but he has no reason to hurt Tony's family," Ziva snapped.

"No?" Greg countered. "Even if it meant getting rid of your ties to Washington so you'd go home?"

"What ties to Washington?" Ziva argued. "My ties are my team. NCIS."

"Really? So, is that why you never introduced your boyfriend to them?"

"Michael is not my boyfriend."

Tony pulled a chair out and sat down. "Leah said you were pretty intimate at that café yesterday. And I talked a bit to Abby—she says you've been seeing someone named Michael, and that was all she knew."

Ziva leaned back in her seat. "Fine, yes I am seeing Michael. It is not exclusive though. He after all lives and spends most of his time in Israel. The idea that my father is out to hurt you and Leah, Tony, is ridiculous."

"Not even to test your loyalty?"

"Loyalty? You really think this is all about my loyalty to NCIS?"

"I think this is all about your loyalty to him."

"My father knows where my loyalty lays."

Tony was certain she was going to say something like that. However, she had not done anything illegal, therefore he could not place her under arrest or ship her back to Israel to get her away from Leah. "Why is Michael here in the U.S?"

Ziva shook her head. "I do not know. He would not tell me."

His brow furrowed in frustration. Tony knew that this was going to be an uphill battle. "If he's operating on American soil, it's against the law, Ziva. You do realize that if the FBI finds out you knew what he was up to… you could be arrested too."

She narrowed her eyes. "I do not know what his business is here, Tony. Do you think I would hide something like that from Gibbs?"

"For your sake, I hope you wouldn't," Tony snarled, as he stood up. "Otherwise, you and I are going to have a big problem."

"This may be hard to believe, but not everything is about you," Ziva threw out, angrily.

Tony placed his hand on the knob of the door and glanced at her. "The next time you talk to your boyfriend, make sure he knows to stay away from Leah and Lily." He didn't need to tell her that if Michael went near his wife and daughter again, he would be coming after him with full force.

Greg stepped out after Tony and closed the door. "What do you think? Is she more involved than she's letting on?"

He glanced back at the door, eyes firmly planted on the word _Interrogation. _Tony considered himself good at reading people, but at times he found Ziva difficult. "I don't know. We just talked to a professional spy, someone that was trained to lie and mislead when it suited her."

"Does it suit her in this case?" Greg asked.

"Lines are always blurred when it comes Mossad," Tony countered.

"And getting blurrier by the minute."

"I hope it doesn't get so blurry we can't define the lines anymore."

Greg scowled; to think, the FBI had asked NCIS for help when Tony was missing—that Leah had gone to them because her husband had trusted them. "Want me to post someone outside your apartment building?"

Tony glanced at his watch. "I'm going to go home and check on Leah. I want you and Debra to touch base with Gibbs—compare notes. I'm interested in what Michael Rivkin has to say." As he walked away, Tony knew that he wasn't the only one.


	77. Test

**Warnings:** Slight spoilers for "Legends", Season 6

**A/N:** Happy Friday! Here is an update to celebrate the start of the weekend!

**Guest-** _Thank you!_

**amaia-** _Agreed, a pissed off, protective Tony is very hot ;)_

**Guest-** _Thanks for reading!_

* * *

"I thought you were going to send Greg or Debra over to check on me?" Leah asked when she saw Tony that afternoon.

"Couldn't—I was too worried about you," Tony answered, honestly.

Leah glanced at the baby, sleeping peacefully in her arms. Lily had just finished her lunch and before Leah had been able to lay her down in her crib, she was sound asleep. "We're okay. It's been quiet," she said before she gave the baby a kiss on her cheek.

Tony sat down on the sofa with her, gently reaching out and tucking stray pieces of hair behind her ears. "Listen, Gibbs has his eyes on the guy out in L.A, okay? He isn't getting to you or the baby."

She raised her weary gaze to him. "Who is he?"

He took a deep breath and ran his fingertips down her back. "Mossad."

"What does Mossad want with us?"

"Nothing. We're the pawns—to test Ziva's loyalty."

Leah scowled and hugged Lily closer to her. She felt bad that Ziva had been put in such a position—forced to choose between her friends in Washington and her people. "Who would do something like that? It isn't very fair to her."

Tony licked his lips, stroked Lily's cheek with his thumb, and sighed, "Her father." Gently he reached out and took his own daughter from her mother's arms and settled her on his chest. Lily fussed a little bit, having been disturbed from her nap, but immediately went back to sleep when Tony rubbed the back of her head, softly. "I will never hurt you like that, Lily pad."

She rolled her eyes. "I thought we discussed not calling her that."

He grinned. "I like it. It suits her."

"She's not a flower that floats in a pond," Leah argued.

"No, but she's as pretty as a flower," Tony replied. He kissed the top of his daughter's head. "I'll go lay her down for her nap."

Leah watched him get up with the baby, Copper following behind—wherever Lily went, the dog was sure to follow. Flopping back into the big, fluffy throw pillows on their sofa, Leah closed her eyes. She must have dozed off, because they next thing she remembered was waking up underneath a fleece blanket.

From the bedroom she could hear that Tony was on his cell phone. Leah thought about snuggling back up underneath the blanket and going back to sleep, until she heard his voice raised, slightly. Curious, she got up and peeked into their bedroom.

Tony was standing, facing the windows, and growling, "What do you mean you can't hold him? Gibbs! That man _threatened _my wife! Well… screw the State Department!"

Leah jumped back when he slammed his phone shut and threw it across the bedroom. It shattered against the wall, waking Lily in the next room. The screaming baby only added to the tension in the room as Tony saw her for the first time, his green eyes smoldering with fury; for a few fleeting seconds she was actually _afraid _of him.

"I need to get back to work," he ground out.

"If I need you, how am I going to get in touch with you?" she asked, looking at the broken cell phone.

"IT will issue me a new phone," Tony spat, furiously. "I'll call you with the new number."

Leah felt tears burning in the back of her eyes as he strode past her, the door to the apartment slamming shut so hard that the walls vibrated. Gathering herself together, she wiped the few tears that had fallen from her cheeks and went to calm Lily down.

Lily was on her back, face red, and screaming in the crib. Leah reached down and lifted her daughter out and hugged. "Daddy didn't mean to scare you like that, baby; he loves you so much. He's scared of losing you and that fear… that makes me a little crazy at times."

Copper whined at her feet. Leah glanced down to see the dog looking despondent. He really hated it when Lily was upset and he really didn't like it when Tony was angry.

Shifting the baby in her arms, Leah reached down and scratch Copper behind the ears, trying to calm the baby while comforting the dog. Lily quieted after five minutes of crying, exhausting herself, and falling back to sleep. Once the baby was asleep, Copper's mood changed as well.

"Hopefully," Leah said as she laid the baby back into the crib, "when Daddy comes home he's in a better mood."

* * *

Gibbs could sense the collision course that his team was on early the next morning.

At this point there was very little that he could do about it, except maybe send Michael Rivkin back to Israel. Already the Mossad Officer had killed two terrorist suspects. One of them being the man who had turned Tony over to the mob. He considered that one a small mercy—but he had wanted to grill the guy.

Rivkin was a smug son of a bitch. Somehow, he knew that the Mossad officer wasn't going to heed the former marine's warning and go back to Israel. Gibbs really wished he was allowed to arrest the guy and throw him in jail—at least then he could keep Mossad away from Tony and Leah. _ Or keep Tony away from Mossad, _Gibbs thought as he drove back to OSP headquarters to retrieve McGee. _There's no way of knowing how far Tony will go to protect his family. _

"Boss," McGee was at the door, actually outside the door, when Gibbs showed up. "We have a problem."

"More problems?" Gibbs snarked. "What's going on now?"

"The second dead terrorist, the one that Sam and Callen found, was not Nick Quaderi."

"Who the hell was he then?"

"Sharkia's brother Rafi."

Gibbs clenched his fists at his sides. "Then who the hell is Nick Quaderi?" he asked, although he was sure that he knew the answer to that question.

McGee winced and took a step back. "Michael Rivkin. He was using it as a cover in his operation. That sleeper cell had no idea they had an Israeli spy among them. Perfect cover to kill them all off one by one."

"Except, Callen got back in the game," Gibbs said, grinding his teeth. "Did you call DiNozzo?"

"No. I wanted to tell you first," McGee said. "Celeste… she says that Tony's a little… off the rails right now."

_A little? _Gibbs thought with a shake of his head. "Don't call him or the FBI. Our flight leaves tonight back to D.C; I'll talk to Tony then—in person."

McGee shuffled about on his feet nervously. "Are you sure that's a wise decision? Rivkin technically is wanted for multiple offenses regarding Tony's abduction by the mob. If we give him the time, he'll disappear back to Israel and we won't be able to charge him. That's gonna piss Tony off even more."

Gibbs knew that Tony was going to be pissed off either way. He was doing this really to protect Tony. If the younger man caught up with Rivkin it could result in disastrous consequences. "I can handle an angry Tony, McGee."

"Yeah, but _this _angry?" McGee honestly questioned.

"At this point I don't have much of a choice," Gibbs replied.

"What about Ziva?"

"I'll be having a talk with her when we get back to D.C tonight."

McGee realized that the discussion was closed at this point. They had a flight to catch back to D.C before all hell broke loose.

* * *

Brett had just shut down his computer for the night when Abby appeared in the bullpen. He had not seen her all day, except when she came upstairs to decorate McGee's desk in a ridiculous tiki bar decoration.

"Has Gibbs landed yet?" she asked, nervously.

"Yeah, about an hour ago," Brett replied. "He was going to pay DiNozzo a visit. Why?"

Abby chewed on her lip nervously. "He had me track Michael Rivkin's activity. He got on a flight leaving Los Angeles, but has a stop over in D.C. I tried to call Ziva but she didn't answer. Do you think... do you think she's with him right now?"

Brett frowned and pulled out his cell phone, dialing Gibbs number. "For her sake, I hope not. The FBI was pissed at her today for knowing that Michael was in town and was potentially operating illegally in the United States."

"I can try her again," Abby said, going to McGee's desk and picking up his phone.

"Get her back here," Brett ordered, just as Gibbs picked up. "Gibbs. We have a location on Rivkin. He's in D.C." _And we don't have one on Ziva..._

* * *

Ziva stood outside the DiNozzos' door, her fist hanging in mid-air as she decided whether or not to knock. She knew that Leah was home with the baby—Tony would never let them leave with Michael on the loose. He would do whatever it took to keep his family safe.

She listened to the quiet sounds around her. It did not sound like baby Lily was awake and it did not sound like Copper was in the apartment. Which made sense, since she was certain she had seen a young boy leave the apartment building with the dog just a few moments ago. Taking a deep breath, she worked up the courage to knock.

Leah only opened the door halfway, her blue eyes anxiously glancing at her visitor. "Officer David," she said, softly, almost choked. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to… apologize… for the hell my father has put you and your family through," Ziva said, honestly. "I should have said something sooner. I did not listen to my… instincts."

"It is… it is fine," Leah said, quickly, causing Ziva to suspect that something was wrong. "Thank you… thank you for stopping by."

Ziva reached out and stopped the door from closing. Her brown eyes searched the young woman's face—the fear in her eyes—and she ground her teeth. It did not take her much force to get into the apartment, Leah relented pretty easily, and the innocent young woman soon found herself standing between two highly trained Kidon agents. Seeing Michael in that apartment made her heart leap into her throat. "You should not be here," she hissed at him.

Michael, yielding a knife, gestured patiently towards the door. "Close the door, Ziva. Actually, I am glad that you stopped by. It answered a lot of questions that your father had."

She refused to close the door. "Where is the baby?"

He glanced down the hall. "Asleep in her crib."

"You do not want to do this."

"Close the door."

"And if I do not?"

Michael took a step towards Leah and laid the knife against the young woman's shoulder. "Then I will slash her throat. But, perhaps that is what you want, Ziva. If she is dead it will send Agent DiNozzo, grief stricken, into your arms. You will have the husband and child you always wanted."

Ziva felt tears burn the back of her eyes. "Not this way," she hissed. "I do not want my wish for a family to come at the cost of another life." Gently, she reached behind her and closed the door. "I did as you said. I closed the door. Please, let her go."

Leah remained motionless even as the knife was pressed a little bit harder into her shoulder before Michael stepped away. If she lost her cool she was certain that it would lead to her death, perhaps even lead to Lily's, but she couldn't stop the small sigh of relief that left her when Michael stepped away.

He was smiling at Ziva, his dark eyes cold and emotionless. "Your father was concerned that you were getting too emotionally attached out here—you have forgotten all of your training."

She felt her chin warble a little. "My _father _is a bastard. Forcing me to choose between my country and my friends. He threw me into a cruel game without giving me a choice."

"Ari had to be handled."

"Handled does not always have to mean _be killed._"

"Are you afraid that Agent Gibbs is going to find out that you were ordered to kill your own brother to gain his trust?"

"If killing my own brother did not prove my loyalty to my father… nothing will."

Michael twirled the knife in his hand and then held the smooth, white handle out to her. "Then prove your loyalty now. Prove that you have no attachment to Agent DiNozzo—to Washington."

Ziva looked at the knife being handed to her. "By doing what? Killing Tony?"

He shook his head. "No. By killing her," Michael said, gesturing towards Leah.

Her heart slammed against her rib cage. It was true that she still had feelings for Tony but he loved Leah; he loved Leah so much that her death would surely tear him to pieces. Ziva looked at Leah, their eyes meeting for a brief moment. "And if I do not do it?"

His cold demeanor unnerved her. "Then I will. It is your choice." Michael pushed the handle of the knife towards her again. "So, what are you going to choose?"

Ziva took the knife in her hand, her fingers closing around the handle and turning her knuckles almost white. She noticed the pleading look in Leah's eyes a split second before she decided.


	78. The Choice

**Warnings:** Slight spoilers for Season 6, implied adult situations

**A/N:** Hello my lovely readers! I'm working my way through responding to your reviews, but thank you for all the kind words. I hope you like the conclusion!

* * *

Ziva had once stood at the top of a basement staircase, gun aimed towards her brother. Ari never even saw the shot coming. Which, maybe that was a blessing in disguise. He never knew _who _killed him. There would be no such mercies in this case.

Clutching the knife in her hand she disengaged the blade and tossed it aside. Instead, her hand slid to the gun at her hip. The only warning she got of Michael charging at her was the enraged look in his eyes. She managed to shout for Leah to run as she was taken to the ground in a flash.

His fist connected with her jaw and the pain that shot through her body forced the gun from her hand. Ziva swiftly kicked him in the groin, scrambling out from underneath him. Her vision was blurry but she managed to find her weapon.

Michael was like a ferocious beast that had circled his prey and was going in for the kill. He hit her relentless, forcing her to defend herself. They struggled for the gun, locked in a life or death battle. Ziva knew she wasn't just fighting for her own life, if she didn't win this, then Michael would kill Leah, perhaps Lily too, and leave no witnesses behind.

The barrel of her own weapon was pointed directly at her skull when another gun shot off, the bullet ripping through Michael's shoulder. His eyes found his assailant pretty quickly and he reached towards his belt for his knife…

"Don't even try it," Tony snarled above her. When the Kidon agent made another move towards Tony and Ziva, the FBI agent fired another round, this time in Michael's thigh. "I told you not to try it," Tony hissed.

"So, you will be the one to kill me," Michael said, gripping his thigh and breathing heavily. "I bet it will feel good won't it, Agent DiNozzo?"

Tony's brow furrowed. "Killing never feels good to me, but I'll be relieved to know you won't be around to hurt Leah or my daughter."

Michael laughed, sadistically. "There will always be another," he responded, eyes flashing towards Ziva, bloodied and lying on the floor at Tony's feet. "Your love for him will be your undoing, Ziva."

Ziva gripped her gun, wanting to shoot him but not having a reason to do so. "I do not care," she finally said, tears in her eyes. "I hate the person my father wanted me to become. I do not want to be that person anymore."

"Fine then. It is your choice," Michael snarled. "I hope you can live with it."

Everything happened so quickly, Ziva barely had time to process. Somehow, Michael managed to pull himself to his feet and lunge for Tony, the knife poised to kill. She didn't hesitate or think about it—there was no time—she simply pulled the trigger and put a kill shot right through his skull. _Just like Ari. _

For a moment there was deafening silence in the apartment and then the screams of a baby, a panicky neighbor repeating over and over again "Oh my God!", and finally Tony's steady voice as he knelt down to speak to her.

Tony gently took her weapon and grasped her hand. "Ziva," he said, softly. "We need to get you to a hospital."

Ziva gulped and sucked in a sob. "I… I killed him."

"It's okay, Ziva," Tony assured her. "You… you did the right thing. You didn't let Mossad dictate _who _you are."

"I do not want to be her anymore, Tony!" Ziva cried, searching his eyes for a moment. "I did not want to cause more pain!"

Tony shook his head. "You didn't. Leah and the baby are fine. My neighbor just took them across the hall."

Ziva simply nodded and let him help her to her feet. Her entire body ached and she felt dizzy. He was right, she needed medical attention. "Why… why did you protect me? I did not… I did not deserve it."

He gave her a puzzled look. "You were defending my family and you were my partner. I'd do the same for you, Ziva."

She didn't bother to wipe her tears away. "I do not deserve your friendship. I have put your family through hell."

"Your father put us through hell. He used you, just as much as he used Leah and I."

"My father… he is going to… I do not know what he is going to do when hears about this."

"We tell him I killed Rivkin," Tony said. "Wipe your hands clean."

"He will come after you," Ziva responded.

Tony shrugged his broad shoulders. "Let him. I have a secret weapon on my side—you. Ziva, you know his weaknesses. You can help us take him down a few pegs."

Ziva shuddered. No one messed with her father—no one—not even his own family. "Tony…" she started to say but was interrupted when a shout came from the hall.

Gibbs suddenly appeared, two uniformed officers behind him. "DiNozzo!" he gasped when saw that Tony was alright. "Thank God, when I pulled up and saw the squad cars…"

"Reporting for shots fired, I assume," Tony directed at the officers. They both nodded. "Officer Rivkin invaded my home. I defended myself."

"You shot Rivkin?" Gibbs questioned, glancing at Ziva's appearance. She had been in one hell of a fight. _Why was she here in the first place? _"Ziva?"

"I stopped by to see Leah," Ziva answered, casting her eyes downward. "Michael… was here… waiting for Tony. I tried to take him down but he… Tony was going to take me to the ER."

The team leader shook his head. "I'll have one of the officers do it. Tony needs to stay here as a part of the investigation. FBI is going to need your weapon, Tony."

Tony handed it to Gibbs. "Go ahead. I have nothing to hide, Gibbs. Rivkin was threatening my family. I did what I had to do in order to protect them."

Gibbs wasn't entirely convinced. While the two police officers bought it, radioed in to call the FBI, and then took a subdued Ziva to the nearest emergency room, Gibbs was highly suspicious of what happened here. "Where are Leah and the baby?"

"Across the hall," Tony said. "Both are fine. Leah's rattled."

"FBI is going to want to speak to her," Gibbs said. _Get the story straight. _

"I know and they can. Are you afraid I did something illegal, Gibbs?"

"No. Just trying to get to the truth. One of my people was involved in all this."

Tony's eyes were hard, emotionless. "When I arrived home Rivkin had a gun pointed at Ziva's head—I fired. He was going to kill her, kill me, maybe Leah and the baby… the violence had to stop somewhere. Why not start with him?"

Gibbs realized that the very thing he wished wasn't going to happen did—things had just gotten messier. Letting out a heavy sigh, he glanced at the prone body on the floor of Tony's apartment. Yeah, things could have been worse, the body could be Leah's… or Tony's… "Where are you and Leah going to stay tonight?"

His former senior field agent shrugged. "Hotel. Sure we can find a dog friendly one."

"After the FBI is done questioning you, you'll come back to my house," Gibbs told him. "I have plenty of space."

"Sure you want to take in a baby and a dog?" Tony questioned.

"Yeah," the NCIS agent snapped, "that way I can keep my eyes on you."

"Worried about me?"

"Yes, Tony. I am. You just killed a Mossad officer. Eli David will retaliate with full force."

Tony set his jaw. "Bring it on. I'm not afraid of him."

Gibbs glared at the younger man. "You should be."

Leah timidly appeared just outside the door, Lily whimpering in her arms. "Tony," she whispered, her voice strained. Her eyes were moist and clearly seeking comfort.

"Oh bella," Tony replied, moving past Gibbs and opening his arms to her. He drew his wife and baby daughter into a protective embrace. "It's alright now," he told his girls, giving each of them a soft kiss. "You're safe." _And I intend to make sure it stays that way. _

* * *

After spending hours speaking with FBI agents, Tony and Leah were free to go. Their apartment was closed down and locked tight for the investigation. The small family had accepted the invitation to stay with Gibbs. Leah was slightly uncertain about staying in a home that was left unlocked, but with the protection of two federal agents and a dog… it was better than spending it in a hotel and putting Copper in a kennel until they could go back to their place.

Gibbs had given the larger bedroom to Tony and Leah for the night. Lily, and Copper, were fast asleep in what used to be Kelly's bedroom.

Tony checked on the baby several times before retiring that evening. Yes, the threat of Rivkin had been taken care of, but he was still incredibly shaken that the assassin had gotten so close to his girls. He was unable to ponder this thought for long, Leah had grabbed him roughly by his tee shirt, slammed the bedroom door shut and was kissing him heatedly.

Before he knew it, they had fallen back onto Gibbs' bed. Tony pulled away from her and gasped. "Wait! This is… this isn't _our _bedroom!" _I can't have sex on the boss' bed! _

"So?" Leah breathed, pressing her body close to his, making sure he felt every inch of her as she kissed him again.

"So?" Tony panted, his arousal growing by the second. "Gibbs… we can't… we can't have sex on his bed!"

Leah pulled him down onto the plush area rug near the bed, yanking his tee shirt off as she went. Her fingers roamed over his toned back and he shivered. "Make love to me on the floor then. I don't care. I _need _you."

Tony groaned and slipped his hands underneath her nightgown, caressing his wife lovingly. He let his mouth explore the exposed skin that smelled like honey. Sex was really when they could get it these days, now that the baby had arrived, and well, if that meant having sex on the floor of Gibbs' bedroom… it meant having sex on the floor of Gibbs' bedroom. _At least it's not the bed… _

Any thoughts about where they were doing this vanished when Leah removed his pants and boxers. Tony's need for her took over his entire body and he just gave into the sensations. Breaking their hungry kiss, Tony took the nightgown off Leah and marveled at her strong thighs, smooth stomach… a runner's body….

He dipped down and captured her mouth again with his own. "So beautiful," Tony whispered. "God, I missed you."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, letting him explore her highly sensitive skin. "I missed you too."

Tony hungrily kissed her once more. Despite not being with one another like this for quite some time, they made love slowly, savoring being with one another, until finally, they could no longer stand the slower pace. It was as if an inferno ignited inside of them, pushing them closer and closer to the beautiful edge and over it. Gasping after fulfilling their desire and reaching ultimate satisfaction, the couple laid on the carpet, wrapped in each other's arms.

Leah snuggled into her husband's strong chest, listening to the rapid beat of his heart. She kissed his pectorals, soaking in his musky scent and she felt herself drifting off to sleep. She was woken up when Tony began to move and then lift her into his arms.

He carried her to the bed and laid her down.

She smiled at him as he laid down with her and wrapped her into his arms. "We can't have sex in Gibbs bed, but we can sleep naked in it?"

"Do you want to sleep on the floor?"

"No."

"Ok. Do you want to get up and get dressed?"

Leah yawned and burrowed against him. "Not really."

Tony kissed her cheek and watched as she drifted off to sleep. "Good, neither do I," he said. Soon he was asleep with her.

* * *

"Am I going to have to buy a new mattress, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked drily the next morning.

"Um… what do you mean?" Tony inquired, innocently.

Gibbs smiled at him. "You weren't exactly quiet last night you know."

Tony winced. "Sorry. We… um… only slept in the bed… I swear. Any other…carnal…activities happened elsewhere in the room."

He got up from the table and went to pour more coffee. Gibbs chuckled and slid the mug towards Tony. "I was married a few times, DiNozzo, I know what it's like to have someone right then and there. Being new parents, I imagine that a regular sex life is hard to maintain."

Fixing his coffee, Tony blushed a little. "It's been a few weeks since Leah and I did have sex. I've been working late and by the time I get home, well, she's fast asleep. Last night… last night was the first time we were both awake."

"That's fine. But if you're going to stay with me… just try to keep it down a little," Gibbs teased. "I _don't _need to hear it."

"Gotchya, boss," Tony cracked with a grin. "Promise. We'll try to be quiet tonight."

Gibbs grunted and went back to reading his paper, changing the subject. "Had an interesting conversation with Abs this morning. She told me that the bullet that killed Rivkin wasn't fired from your gun. It came from Ziva's SIG."

Tony gripped the mug. He knew that Gibbs wasn't going to let the story go. The former marine was going to dig deeper and deeper until he found the answers, the truth. "Maybe I used Ziva's gun."

He looked at the younger man underneath stern, blue eyes. "Don't lie to me Tony. What happened last night? You didn't kill Rivkin, but you shot him… twice… so I know you were there."

Slowly, Tony relented and told Gibbs the story. "If Mossad finds out that Ziva killed Michael, that she chose NCIS and me over her family… it could cost her her life."

"Not your job to protect her anymore, Tony."

"She protected Leah and Lily. I owe her."

"By taking the fall for her? Planting a target on your back with Eli David as the hunter?"

"What would you have done, Gibbs?" Tony asked him, honestly.

Gibbs thought about it for a long time and could only come to one conclusion. "Yeah," he said, firmly, "I would have done the same thing."


	79. Target

**Warnings:** Slight spoilers for Season 6

**A/N:** Sorry about the wait. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Tony wasn't surprised when Tobias was waiting for him in his office that morning, with a scowl on his face. "Hey, Toby."

Tobias glared at him. "Don't _hey _me, DiNutso. We have a very big issue on our hands! You lied about shooting Rivkin!"

"Do you think Ziva should be punished for taking Rivkin out?" Tony asked.

"What a ridiculous question! No! Rivkin was posing a threat to a federal agent, a foreign operative, and two civilians!"

"Her father wouldn't see it that way. This was a test of her loyalty and she chose _us._"

Grumbling, Tobias stood up, pulling his suit coat down. "Eli David will rip you to pieces. He's gonna want your ass in a chair in Israel so he can do so. And what do you think is going to happen when he gets his hands on the evidence that the bullet that killed Rivkin did not come from your gun?"

Tony sat down at his desk and turned his computer on. He adjusted a framed photograph of Leah and Lily, and dusted the glass with his sleeve. "If Ziva goes back to Israel, her father is going to make her pay, dearly, for her actions. She might have done the right thing, but not in his eyes. He's going to look at her as a traitor."

"Homeland is going to ask that Vance terminate her position at NCIS," Tobias said. "I spoke to Morrow myself."

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Tony snapped, angrily.

Tobias heaved a sigh. "Maybe political asylum. But, she would still have to revoke her job at NCIS."

Tony frowned. "That's better than sending her back to Israel to be with the wolves!"

He could see the fire in Tony's eyes. Yesterday, Tony had been ready to tear Ziva a new one according to Greg. However, seeing that her loyalty was to NCIS, to Tony and her friends here… had obviously changed his mind. "She had the chance to take what she wanted."

Licking his lips, Tony slowly nodded. "She could have killed Leah but she didn't. Instead, she spared my wife, she tried to protect her and the baby; and then she killed Michael before he could hurt me. I owe her."

"I hope you're willing to pay the price," Tobias pointed out.

"Well, that's when I'll trust you'll have my back, Toby," Tony said with a grin.

Tobias rolled his eyes. "I need to go to NCIS to start cleaning up the mess you helped create."

Tony laughed. "You don't want me to tag along?"

"No, but guess what? You're coming with me despite my wishes to leave you behind."

"Aw, and I always love our road trips!"

"We'll see if you're smiling once we're done at NCIS," Tobias said.

Tony stood up, glanced at the screen of his computer one more time, before following Tobias out of the building.

* * *

"FBI has a few questions," Gibbs told Ziva. "This shouldn't take too long and then I want you to go home."

"Home? As in Israel?" Ziva asked, on the verge of tears. She had certainly burned her bridges to Israel.

Gibbs shook his head to clarify. "No, Ziva. Home to your apartment to rest. I spoke with Vance, I've spoken with Fornell and Tom Morrow over at Homeland Security. As far as we're concerned you stopped a foreign operative from committing more killings on American soil."

Ziva wiped her eyes with her good hand; the other arm was in a sling. "I could not justify Michael killing Leah or baby Lily. I was not going to be responsible for putting Tony through so much pain. He loves… he loves those girls. Whatever punishment my father has for me, I am willing to take."

He reached out and smoothed her hair back. "That part of you died last night, Ziva, when you chose the lives of innocent people over your own wants and needs."

She swallowed. "I did not want Tony to hurt. Besides, Michael was wrong—Tony would not have loved me if I was involved in Leah's death. He would have… he probably would have killed me. I think… I think I would have let him too."

The door to the conference room opened. Gibbs looked up to see Tobias and Tony step into the room. "Miss David," Tobias greeted, politely. "This shouldn't take us too long; I'm sure you want to go home and rest."

Ziva used her good hand to swipe her hair out of her eyes. "I am fine, Agent Fornell. Take as long as you need."

Tony sat down at the far end of the table, in front of the windows, and leaned back in the chair. He had agreed to come along with Tobias but he was not partaking in the interview.

"Officer Rivkin came to see you often in the last year," Tobias pointed out. "Were you in a relationship with him?"

"It was… a causal relationship. He saw me when he… needed too," Ziva answered.

"Where you aware that Mossad was targeting Agent DiNozzo and his family?"

"I had my suspicions."

Tobias glanced over at Tony, who was pretending to fix his tie. "Did you know _why _Mossad was targeting them?"

Ziva shook her head. "No, not until last night. It was a test of my loyalty."

"Was Rivkin ordered to kill Mrs. DiNozzo?" Tobias asked.

"If it came down to it—if _I _would not do it—then yes, I fully believe Michael was ordered to kill Leah," Ziva whispered.

"Why didn't you do it?"

"I did not want to cause any more pain."

Tony glanced at his watch. He had promised Leah he'd check in with her periodically throughout the day and he had already missed his first check-in. "I think we have all we need, Tobias."

Tobias frowned, slightly. While he was convinced that Tony and Leah were safe from Ziva, he wasn't entirely convinced that the young family was safe from the likes of Eli David. "Almost," he told his colleague. "Officer David, Agent DiNozzo is claiming that he was the one that shot Rivkin—reports indicate the kill shot came from your service weapon."

Ziva looked at Tony, tentatively. "Yes, the kill shot came from my weapon. I was the one that shot Michael—not Tony."

Gibbs could see that Tony wasn't happy with that answer, but the FBI agent couldn't hide from the truth. If they went with the truth they could take measures to really protect Ziva from her father. "Tony, if we lied, we'd be pitting you against one of the most powerful men in the world—you have Leah and Lily to think about. Director David has already gone after them once."

"Tony, I can fight this battle," Ziva assured him. "You do not have to worry about me."

"You never should have been put in this position, Ziva," Tony retorted.

"But I have been. I made my choice. I am ready to deal with the consequences," she said.

"Consequences? The only one that should be facing consequences is your father," he spat, angrily.

"Have you checked in with Leah?" Gibbs interjected, "_Now _might be a good time."

Tony stood, glaring slightly at Gibbs as he left the conference room. He slammed the door shut behind him.

Tobias glanced at Gibbs and sighed. "I don't know what's going to happen to your job here. There are some at Homeland Security that think your position should be terminated and that you should be sent back to Israel. At this point, Officer David, I do not know what is going to happen."

Ziva nodded and looked down at her feet. She meant what she said—she was ready to face the consequences. In fact, she was fully prepared to be sent back to Israel. She believed that the only way all of this was going to end was if she did return to Israel.

"Leah isn't answering," Tony said, stepping back into the room. "I'm going over…"

"I'm sure she's fine," Tobias countered. "Maybe she's sleeping."

"Yeah, I'm still going to check on her," Tony said. "Are you coming or not?"

"Fine," Tobias snapped, "But if this turns out to be nap time _you're _buying me lunch."

* * *

Leah had never seen Gibbs lock his door before, but that morning, when he and Tony had left for work, she clearly heard the lock click into place.

Copper took shifts between sitting in front of the back door and sitting in front of the front door. Leah, still uneasy about the night before made sure to keep Lily downstairs with her all day. So, while the baby slept she got to work cleaning. Even though Gibbs had a woman in his life, he was still living alone and she wondered when the last time he had given his house a good scrub.

She was on her hands and knees in the downstairs bathroom when someone knocked at the door. Leah dropped the sponge in her hand back into the bucket and cautiously went to the front door. Copper, who had been sleeping at the back door, woke up and followed her.

Outside she could make out the tall outline of a man. _I knew I should have answered the phone when Tony called, _Leah thought as she moved towards the door. Copper snarled and barked, causing her to jump back, startled.

"It's just Tony," Leah assured the dog. "He's being about as overprotective as you are."

Copper grabbed a hold of her sweatpants and yanked her back. Leah stumbled slightly and cursed the dog, until she heard the lock being picked and realized that the man outside was _not _Tony. Fear surged through her and grabbing a fistful of the dog's fur and scooping Lily up in one arm—Leah went down into the basement, locking the door behind her.

Down in Gibbs dusty domain, she frantically looked for something that could be a weapon. If she made it through this, she had found her next project—organizing this basement.

Leah finally found a crow bar when the basement door was unlocked and she caught sight of fancy dress shoes on the top step…

"What the hell are you doing down here?" Tony snapped when he saw her. "Did you know the front door was _wide _open?"

"I… I was cleaning… and someone was at the door," Leah cried, bursting into tears. "They picked the lock!"

Tony suddenly understood her fear. He calmly took the crow bar from her hand, and with an arm around her waist, gently guided her up the stairs.

Tobias was inspecting the front door. "No damage to the lock. This was done by a professional. Now, what would Gibbs have in here that a professional thief would want?"

Leah sat down on the sofa and hugged the baby close to her. Copper jumped up next to her and laid his head in her lap. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. _It's okay now, _she told herself over and over.

"Maybe his TV," Tony quipped, breaking into her mantra. "It's older than me."

"Or maybe… it was something else entirely," Tobias surmised, glancing at Leah and the baby.

"What? You think someone was here to abduct my wife?" Tony questioned.

"She's more valuable than anything Gibbs has in this house."

"Obviously since the door is never locked."

Lily fussed in her mother's lap, unhappy about being woken up from her nap. Leah stood on shaky legs and went to lay the baby back down in her portable crib. "Who… who would be looking for me?" she asked, eyes darting towards Tony and Tobias. "Who wants to abduct me?"

Tony reached out and pulled her close to him, rubbing her back. "No one. It's some crazy theory that Tobias has. You're safe here, Leah."

She yanked herself out of his arms and glared at him. "Safe? Are you joking? I am not safe! Someone picked the lock on the front door! If you had not shown up to check on me, what do you think would have happened?"

He could understand her frustration, but now that Rivkin was dealt with and the word was out that Director David had ordered the officer to kill Leah… Tony doubted that Eli was going to come after his family now. It would be foolish, a political nightmare for Eli… _but he would come after his daughter, _Tony realized. "That man was looking for Ziva. He wasn't a professional thief, or hired to kidnap my wife, Tobias—he was an assassin." _And his target is Ziva._


	80. Your Lot in Life

**Warnings:** None for this chapter

**A/N:** This is the final chapter. I hope that you enjoy it and that it ties everything up nicely. I felt that I took this story as far as I possibly could take it, although, I am not opposed to writing a sequel someday, I am just in the mood to move onto another project. This is not the last Tony/Leah story. I have more ideas for this pairing. I want to thank everyone that took the time to read and review, favorite, follow, etc. This was a monster of a project. Eighty chapters! I tip my hat to those of you that managed to stay with me on this crazy ride for so long!

* * *

MTAC was filled with so much tension it was amazing that anyone could breathe in the heavy atmosphere.

Tony sat in the dark of the room, very much aware that this could end badly for all those involved. Despite what Tobias thought, the FBI agent did understand what he was up against. Hell, this was the man that had orchestrated Kate Todd's death; Tony knew that he could easily be next if he wasn't careful.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Leon," Director David's voice filled the space, his face the screen. "Business."

"Eli, we need to talk," Vance said, firmly. "I can't have Mossad assassins running around terrorizing citizens."

David cleared his throat. "I apologize, Leon. Officer Hadar was there to speak to my daughter since I have not been allowed to do so since the death of Officer Rivkin. Please, extend my apologies to Mrs. DiNozzo. I am sure after what happened with Officer Rivkin, another man showing up at her door, armed, was terribly frightening."

Tony bristled. Eli had just confirmed what Tony already knew—the Director of Mossad had sent Rivkin to America to take out Leah. The plan had just back-fired—thankfully.

Vance was equally as angry. "Eli, you realize the political nightmare you could have caused us if Officer Rivkin had murdered Mrs. DiNozzo and a baby?"

"His orders were never to harm Mrs. DiNozzo or the baby," Eli responded. "He misunderstood."

"Ziva must have misunderstood, too," Gibbs snapped. "She was under the impression that Rivkin was going to kill Leah."

"Agent Gibbs, I assure you that there is no danger to Mrs. DiNozzo and her baby," Eli countered.

"Can you assure me?" Tony questioned, getting to his feet and coming into Director David's view.

Eli frowned, slightly. He sized Tony up before speaking. "Agent DiNozzo."

Tony pulled on his suit coat. "Well, can you assure me, Director David, that my wife and daughter are not in danger? You must understand why I'm a little bit apprehensive, I mean, a Kidon assassin broke into our apartment and took my wife captive while he waited for either myself or Ziva to show up."

Gibbs could tell that Tony had Eli back on his heels a bit. "The Israeli Embassy had some interesting things to say about that, Director David. Seems you had been warned by your government to pull Officer Rivkin from the United States and you didn't listen."

"I sent his handler to the United States to retrieve him," Eli snapped.

"Like you sent Ari's?" Tony threw out there. He saw Eli's dark eyes cloud over. "Admit it, Ziva was only sent here to kill Ari, not clear his name."

"Ari was out of control. He should have known what was coming. I took care of it."

"Was that your plan for Rivkin?"

Eli scowled at Tony. "When will I get the chance to speak to my daughter, Leon?"

Vance stiffened, he could feel Tony and Gibbs ready to pounce. "Right now we are still conducting an investigation that your daughter is very much a part of, Eli."

"In other words, she does not wish to speak to me."

"At this time, no. I'm sure that will change."

Director David abruptly ended their call, to the surprise of no one in that room. In the now darkened MTAC Vance turned his attention to the case.

Gibbs had nothing new to offer the NCIS director; Ziva had killed Rivkin in self-defense, and if that wasn't a strong enough argument, she had killed the rogue Mossad officer in defense of a federal agent and his family.

Vance's brow furrowed and he glanced at Tony. "You were armed. Why didn't you kill him?"

Tony was surprised by that question. "He had information that we needed, about the terrorist cell. I thought he was better to the FBI alive rather than dead. He made his own choice, Director Vance." _And Ziva was trained to kill in those types of situations. _ "We both told you that if he hadn't been stopped, he was going to kill us."

"Unfortunately I cannot keep Miss David here much longer," Vance said. "Eli has ordered her back to Israel. Her work visa will be revoked once the position is terminated within NCIS."

"What about asylum?" Gibbs asked.

"Without a direct threat to Ziva the State Department will not grant it," Vance answered. "We're stuck between a rock and a hard place."

Gibbs could tell that Tony wanted to argue. He glared at the younger man to stop him. There was nothing either one of them could do. "DiNozzo, why don't you call it a day? Eli may be a heartless bastard, but he's right—what Leah went through this morning was terribly frightening."

Tony frowned. He couldn't help but feel like this was all his fault. Sighing, he nodded. "Yeah. She wasn't happy when I left her earlier with Hollis. I think she wanted me to skip work…"

The former marine set his jaw. "All the more reason to go check on her, Tony. She's confused, surely, about what is going on and why she's in the middle of it all."

He had to agree. Tony nodded and silently departed MTAC. As much as he wanted to argue and find some way to keep Ziva in the States and not send her back to her scheming father—he knew that he was powerless. Gibbs was right—going home to Leah and his daughter was the best thing for him right now. So he did, pushing all the days worries from his mind the closer he got to his family.

* * *

Leah smelled his cologne before she felt his hands rest on her hips. "You're home early," she whispered, while she stirred the stew she was making for dinner.

Tony kissed her temple and buried his face in her hair. "I decided to call it an early day," he replied. "I had a few things to take care of, and then it was brought to my attention that I had a few things to take care of at home—you and Lily."

She continued to work on dinner. "Lily is napping upstairs in the guest room. And I'm fine. I finished cleaning this house top to bottom and I started organizing the stuff in the basement."

He took a deep breath and smiled. "I'm sure Gibbs will be very appreciative of your hard work. But I know you, Leah. What happened today has you rattled."

"It's been quiet since this afternoon. You were right. They weren't here for me or Lily."

"No, they weren't, but it still scared you."

Leah let go of the spoon she was using and it clanged loudly against the metal pot as she moved away. "It did. It makes me wonder how long until the next person comes along, threatening me and Lily because of you."

Tony felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "I never, ever wanted you to be in danger because of me, Leah."

She wiped some tears that fell. "I think… I think Lily and I need to go away for a while. At least until this thing with Ziva blows over."

His heart began to race. Was she planning on leaving him… permanently? Tony couldn't imagine his life without Leah or his daughter, and he certainly didn't want to be away from them. "Leah… please… don't do this."

"Don't do what? Get my daughter to a safe place?" Leah shouted, spinning about on her heel. "I'm tired of constantly looking over my shoulder! I'm tired of hiding and being locked away! I want my life back, Tony!"

"You're just tired and upset," Tony argued. "Everything will feel better once we're back in our apartment and things go back to normal."

"Normal? What is normal for us, Tony? Every time I turn around there's another threat!"

"What do you want me to do? Quit my job? Being a federal agent is all I know! I'm good at it!"

Leah swallowed a sob but allowed her tears to run freely down her cheeks. "I can't… I can't keep doing this, Tony. Don't you see? It's not about us anymore. It's about Lily and what's best for her."

Tony clenched his fists at his sides. "So you think taking her away from her father is what's best for her?"

She adverted her eyes. "If she's safer, yes."

He felt like screaming and throwing things. Fortunately for the both of them the back door opened and Gibbs stepped inside.

Gibbs could immediately tell he had walked in on an argument. He'd seen the fire in Tony's eyes before and Leah was crying. "Am I interrupting?"

"No," Tony said, curtly, with a shake of his head. "Your house so you can't interrupt."

"Is that beef stew I smell?" Gibbs asked, directing the question towards Leah.

"Yes," Leah whispered, wiping her eyes. "My grandmother used to make it. It's…it's comfort food for me."

"After today I think we could all use a bit of comfort food," Gibbs said, smiling.

Tony grumbled something underneath his breath, stomped off to the living room, and then shouted that he was taking Copper for a walk. Leah glanced away and went back to fixing dinner.

Gibbs put his weapon away and went to grab a beer. He popped the top and sat down at the kitchen table. "Leaving isn't the answer, Leah. Maybe Lily would be safer if you left, but that doesn't change the fact that she's still Tony's daughter. If you go… you might be putting her at more risk."

Leah didn't turn to look at him. She kept furiously stirring the pot. "I want my baby safe."

"He wants the same. Everything he does is for you and that baby. Do you love him?"

"What? Of course I do!"

"So you're leaving because…."

"Because… because… I don't really know why, okay! I just know I _have _to go!"

Gibbs sipped his beer. "Alright," he said, softly. "Just do me a favor, okay?"

Leah turned to glance at him. "What favor is that?"

He sighed and leaned forward. "Sleep on your decision. In the morning if you still want to leave… it can be arranged."

She took a deep breath and slowly nodded her head. She could do that. After all, what was one more night?

* * *

Coffee woke Tony up the following morning and with a sinking heart he realized for the first time in months, it was not the baby that woke him. _She left. Leah's gone. _

Tears burned the backs of his eyes and Tony kicked the covers off. He slowly got up from Gibbs sofa, wondering how the hell the NCIS agent had slept on it all these years. His back was killing him. Making his way into the kitchen he was not surprised to find Gibbs drinking coffee at the table, a newspaper in his hand and Hollis sitting with him. "'Morning," he mumbled going to the coffee pot.

Gibbs glanced up and saw the sag in Tony's shoulders. The FBI agent looked defeated. "Hey," he said. "Hungry? We can make eggs."

"No, thank you," Tony whispered, fixing his coffee. "I'll make sure I'm out of your hair by tonight."

"Why?" Gibbs asked.

"Because you only invited me here so the baby and Leah had a safe place," Tony replied. "Since Leah and Lily are gone, well… I can stay in a hotel."

Hollis arched her eyebrows as the younger man sat down at the kitchen table with them. "Who says that Leah is gone?"

Tony frowned at her and clutched his coffee mug. "Copper is gone; I don't hear Lily; it doesn't take a genius to know that she left." _And I miss her so much already. _

Gibbs reached out and slapped Tony on the back of the head. When Tony glowered at him, he glared. "She took the dog and the baby out for a run, DiNozzo. She got a good night sleep, woke up with a clear head, and realized that she didn't want to leave you. Some things are going to have to be worked on, to help her get through her fear for Lily's safety… but she loves you, Tony."

"How long… how long has she been gone?" Tony sputtered.

"Left five minutes ago," Hollis replied.

Tony jumped up from the table, hastily threw his sneakers on and told the couple that he was going to catch up to her. As he sprinted from the house Gibbs laughed and shook his head.

Hollis eyed him, curiously. "Would you chase after me like that?"

Gibbs reached over the table and kissed her. "Yes. I absolutely would."

* * *

Leah was just about to turn the corner when a hand grasped the one holding onto Copper's leash and she was pulled back into two strong arms. She didn't panic though because she recognized his familiar scent.

Tony held onto her tightly, silently crying into her hair and thankful that she had not left him. "I love you, bella," he whispered over and over again. "I promise, I'm going to do a better job protecting you, protecting Lily."

Lily gurgled, happily from her stroller. Leah sighed, still struggling to comprehend how foolish she had been last night. "I know, Tony; I'm… I'm sorry I ever doubted you. I know you love me, that you love Lily, and that you would never intentionally put us in danger. Can you… can you forgive me for the hurtful things I said last night?"

"Sweetheart, there's nothing to forgive," Tony assured her, pulling back and smiling at her. "I'm just thankful you're still here, that you didn't leave me. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"To be honest, honey, I don't know what Lily and I would have done without you," Leah said, with a shy smile. "My plan sounded good in my head and then Gibbs showed up to be the voice of reason… when I woke up this morning I knew how stupid I was being."

Tony stroked her cheek and then took Copper's leash from her. The dog wagged his tail and yelped, happily. "Mind if I run with you?"

Leah smiled and kissed him, tenderly. "I would love that."

* * *

Gibbs opened the door when someone knocked. Copper lazily followed behind him. He wasn't surprised to find Ziva on his front porch. "Something bothering you that it couldn't wait until we got into the office?"

Ziva shook her head and asked if she could come inside. Gibbs stepped aside, Copper sniffed her, and she glided into the house. "I spoke with my father and Officer Hadar last night."

He nodded. Gibbs had been expecting her to speak with Eli and judging by the look in her eyes, she had made her decision on what her future held. "Tea?"

"I will not be long," Ziva explained. "I have a flight to catch."

"You're going back to Israel."

"Yes. It is for the best, Gibbs."

Gibbs frowned. He wasn't so sure about that. "Are you sure you want a life back in Mossad?"

Ziva sighed and shook her head. "I resigned from Mossad. I told my father that my feelings for Tony made it clear that I want a family. I am tired of the spy life style. With my resignation, my work visa is revoked—I cannot stay in Washington. Maybe that is a good thing. I will be able to move on."

He continued to frown. "What about your father? He broke U.S laws, he endangered an American family to prove something to his daughter…"

"The Prime Minister has removed him from office. Another reason I resigned. Carrying the David name does not hold as much honor as it did before," Ziva replied.

"Sounds like the Prime Minister had good reason to remove your father," Gibbs said. He quirked an eyebrow, "Did you have something to do with that?"

"I told him the truth," Ziva replied. "If the truth got my father removed from office, so be it."

Gibbs sighed and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. She had been one to be given a tough lot in life; hopefully cutting her ties from her father and Mossad would bring her peace. "Take care of yourself, Ziver," he whispered before they parted for the final time.

Ziva broke away, muttering one more good-bye to hide her tears, and left the house. Gibbs silently closed the door behind her and turned to find Tony standing in the living room, a solemn expression on his face.

Tony knew that he was not directly responsible for what happened, but maybe he had played some par in an indirect way. "There was no win-win situation in this case, Gibbs."

"I know," Gibbs replied. "However, it seems that some of us are just handed terrible lots in life."

"Ziva's stubborn, she'll turn it around," Tony said, firmly.

"Maybe. FBI give you clearance to go back to your apartment yet?"

"Tomorrow. Ready to get rid of us, Gibbs?"

Gibbs laughed, sadly. "No, everyone just needs to move forward. You can't do that if you're living here, with me and Hollis."

Tony grinned. "We're putting a crimp on your love life, aren't we?" When Gibbs glared at him, he laughed. "Don't worry, Gibbs. I get it. Hard to have any kind of romantic evening when you've got a five month old baby wailing away. Believe me, I know."

He rolled his eyes and pat Copper behind the ears. The dog panted happily and wagged his tail. "Where did you disappear too?"

"Tim called. He wanted to have lunch."

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Tony said. "Better than okay, Gibbs. He asked me to be his best man. Guess all the events of the last few days finally gave him the courage to pop the big one on Celeste. Although, I think she knew it was coming."

Gibbs stroked Copper's soft fur and gave him a final pat before he gestured towards the kitchen. "Feel like having a beer?"

Tony grinned and nodded. "Yeah; a beer sounds good to me."

The two men headed into the kitchen and Gibbs retrieved two beers. He popped the top off of them and handed one to Tony. Clanging their bottles together in a toast, both men realized that some times things did not turn out the way you planned, and other times, if you were lucky enough, you got everything you ever wanted.


End file.
